Until The Sun Falls
by lauralulubee
Summary: P and K are living happily in their secret hideaway but even though they have found happiness they have a lot on their hands in an effort to help the other Panem slaves. But the country they thought they knew is a lot more complicated than either of them could have imagined and little do they know they're at the center of it all. - Everlark MA AU -Sequel to 'I'll Look After You'
1. Prologue

Katniss's POV

_I don't understand how everything could have gone from perfect to destroyed so quickly. I didn't even realize until it was too late. My husband, my baby, everything...gone, but I'm getting ahead of myself. For all you know I've just been living my happily ever after, I guess I'll start from there. Right where I left off._


	2. Reflections on the Water

Katniss's Pov

**Six Months Ago **

This is peace, I thought to myself as I snuggled in my husband's arms with my beautiful baby girl asleep on my chest. We were watching the sunrise together from the hammock on the balcony of our new home, which was completed just last week. Peeta had dreamt about building this place before we had even met and now it was finally complete. The wind blew lightly through my hair as the golden rays breached the horizon and highlighted the cool, blue waves of the calm ocean that spanned for miles before us. I felt Peeta move my hair from my face and kiss my forehead warmly just as Hope began to stir lightly in my arms. At just over six weeks old, Hope was still waking us every couple of hours, but we had formed a routine that worked well for us. We would take turns with her in the night, and when she cried for her feeding around five or six we would both get up with her and watch the sunrise. This was my happy place, the three of us cocooned safely in each other's arms, starting the day together. It was the calm we had earned after the hectic flurry of changes we had experienced since the vote to abolish slavery over a month ago.

We have been keeping a low profile from the public but are still watching the news for updates on the activities of the freed slaves. This past month we have kept busy with the preparations for the planned community we will be developing for them on our land. We started by throwing out ideas about what the community should include, and have refined them enough that Peeta has drawn up plans for some of the essential buildings we will need for the community. Using the natural resources available, we will begin with building a medical clinic, a town hall and sleeping quarters for men and women. Luckily for us, there is an abundance of cedar and pine trees on the property that can be harvested to help build the areas. To help with the labor, Peeta has already been in contact with some men from the neighboring village who helped him work on the safe house. As long as Peeta writes detailed notes on the plans for them in American, they are more than capable of completing the work and are always happy for the jobs. The women of the village will also be helping us by making hammocks for the Panem refugees to sleep in when they first arrive. Those who won't be requiring medical attention can start out sleeping in the quarters while they work on obtaining a skill like farming or ranching. Once they have mastered a skill enough that they are able to function on their own, they can begin to apply for land grants to start their own farms, orchards, and stores. Little did I know, but the property that Peeta had invested in and built our home on was over two hundred and fifty acres of farmland, forest and coast line. There is more than enough property to go around, and the community will still be far enough away from our home mountain to keep the location private as well as secure.

In the distance we heard one of the roosters begin his morning wake up call. We had started breeding chickens on the property to give to the refugees for those who wanted to start their own farm. The chicks were adorable, but their fathers always made sure to disrupt my quiet time. "That's our signal, my love," Peeta whispered in my ear. In an effort to not hermit ourselves in our suite, we agreed that once the rooster crowed it was our sign to begin the day. Peeta took Hope from my arms and rested her against his shoulder as he helped me out of the hammock. She didn't even stir.

After getting dressed, we made our way downstairs for breakfast with our motley crew. Almost everyone was already awake and grabbing plates of food before beginning their busy schedules. We all have our own set of responsibilities around the "plantation" as Gale has taken to calling it, that keep us busy from sunrise until sundown. Most of the guys have been working on the construction and plowing for the area, while Peeta has taken on the role of project manager in addition to architect for the site. Little did I know, but that was actually what he was trained for in his former life - amazing how things work out. As for the girls and I, we work in shifts sharing all the chores that need to get done. Between the six of us we manage to take care of our developing livestock population, feed the troops, and gather supplies for the slave population's arrival.

"Look who's finally awake! Why, it's America's favorite family!" Damien quipped in an uppity accent as he finished setting the table. Damien had made a full recovery from his gunshot wound six weeks ago and, by unspoken agreement, we all took to pretending like it never happened.

"And good morning to you too, Damien," Peeta replied in the same accent Damien had just used. "And good morning to you all!" he continued on. I smirked at their early morning antics.

"Now give me my niece, you're constantly hiding her from me and I won't have it," Damien said, coming over and taking Hope out of Peeta's arms.

"Damien, you are more than welcome to spend some quality time with her between the hours of eleven p.m. and five a.m. No one is stopping you," I responded back playfully.

"Katniss, darling, she was your oopsie. So, as nature dictates, it is your responsibility as mother to wake up with her every night. While I, as the honored uncle, get to play with her when she's happy and hand her back over when she's not," he said as he cooed to the baby.

"Hope was not an oopsie!" I said back indignantly.

"She most definitely was, or has living in this mountain started to affect your memory?"

"I have to agree with Damien on this one, my love. She did come as a surprise," Peeta said to me quietly.

"She shouldn't ever be called an oopsie! She should be called an inevitable! It's only an oopsie if you're taking precautions to keep from getting pregnant. You two were at it like rabbits without a thought to any protection, hence an inevitable. If it wasn't for me, Katniss probably would have gone into labor without realizing she was pregnant!" Rue chimed in from the kitchen where she was juicing some oranges.

Everyone in the room started laughing. I turned beat red from embarrassment and was about to respond when I felt Peeta wrap his arms around my waist. "I would be mad, but it is one hundred percent the truth." he said, giving me a kiss on the cheek before pulling back so I could see his smile.

I wanted to argue, but he was right. So I just shrugged and made my way toward the breakfast buffet. At least Rue had made my favorite pancakes. I looked around our large dining room table and noticed one of my favorite faces missing from the group. "Where's Prim?" I asked.

"She wasn't feeling too well today so I told her she should go back to sleep and I would take care of her shift." Joanna replied not making eye contact with me. Oh no, not another bad day. This would make the third one this week. It's been over two months since Prim found out her boyfriend Rory had been killed. Although she was devastated in the beginning, I really thought she had come to terms with his death. Unfortunately, over the last month, she had pulled farther and farther into herself. The only time I saw her smile anymore was when she was holding baby Hope. I didn't want to address my fears at the table, so I dropped the conversation for the time being. I knew I needed to give Prim more time to grieve in her own way but it was difficult for me to stand helplessly by and watch her suffer alone.

"So what's on today's agenda?" Gale said veering attention away from Prim's absence. Out of everyone, Gale best understood what Prim was going through and went out of his way to protect her from others while she was in mourning. After all, Rory was Gale's younger brother.

"Well, it looks like we have enough lumber to finally start building the town hall today. I already alerted the Chief that we'll be using a bunch of his guys to help us with the heavy lifting until the first frost. It means paying them overtime, but it sure as hell beats us having to build the community alone. Besides, with most of the tribe working on the community, we should hopefully be ready to take in the first refugees by month's end," Peeta explained to the group in response to Gale's question.

The local people who had built the safe house for Peeta had a strong relationship with him and they trusted him to lead them efficiently and safely as they helped us build the community. The Hawayas, an indigenous population that lived in the bordering village to our land, were a fiercely private people who refused to take part in regular American society. Their Chief trusted Peeta, but with the exception of the sporadic construction jobs they took in the area, they had little to no contact with anyone outside their village. They had agreed to work for us only until the refugees arrived, and they asked to not be mentioned to the new arrivals. The village felt that the reason they were able to remain faithful to their beliefs was due to their ability to shut out the world and focus on their own society. Outsiders upset the balance of life, the Chief said. He believed it was imperative to be judicial with one's trust, because many outsiders would not respect their way of life.

"Is that how long we expect the entire community to take to build? Less than a month?" Annie asked surprised.

"If the weather holds up, then yes. It's not going to be the most luxurious of accommodations, but hopefully they will only be temporary for the refugees. If all goes according to plan they won't be staying in the dormitories too long and can start developing their own land parcels. The first group of slaves will be ready to move out here in two weeks. I asked for the extension because of how wary the locals are of outsiders. But it's not fair to make these people wait much longer to start their lives over again. God knows they've suffered enough," Peeta replied.

Stories of some of the abuses Panem slaves had been subjected to had circulated on the American media circuit, but Gale believed most of the more hideous crimes had still been kept hidden. I had often wondered if his opinion has anything to do with his girlfriend, Johanna. Johanna, like me, had been sent as a Panem slave to America, although she refuses to this day to mention the name of her master. She was able to escape back to Panem only to witness her family being murdered for her disobedience. Gale feels that most of the freed slaves fear retribution from their old masters, and that reason as well as many others have kept them quiet. Johanna refuses to voice an opinion on anything having to do with Panem or the freed slaves, so I suspect that perhaps Johanna was subjected to these hideous crimes Gale refers to. Those who have been brave enough to tell their story never say their name or who they worked for. I wonder if they are still worried about the law being overturned and being forced to return to their old masters.

"Well, we have a ton to do if we're to start getting new arrivals on the plantation at the end of the month." Annie replied back. Rue shook her head vigorously next to her. I just sighed.

"Can we please come up with a name for this place other than the plantation? The plantation just sounds so…"

"Ancient?" Thresh supplied.

"Elitist?" Damien joined in.

"Farm like?" Finnick said jokingly.

I laughed a little at their adjectives. "Well yes, but also, if we're building a community, it should have a name. People will live here, this will be their home. I'm pretty sure the geographic area alone would actually give us our own zip code, so it should have a real name. Don't you think?"

"How about Peeta's Place?" Damien offered up sarcastically.

"How about…" Peeta responded back by giving Damien the finger.

"Now, now boys. There are children at the table." Gale said laughingly. Everyone's eyes looked over at Annie and Finnick's little boy, Finn, and sleeping baby Hope who was now in Rue's lap.

"Seriously guys…," I said, trying to bring everyone's attention back to the matter at hand.

There was a cawing sound like that of a hawk and on some unspoken agreement the boys took a final bite of their breakfasts and got up.

"Where are you going?" I asked incredulously. I had just asked everyone a question and instead of getting a response they all started leaving.

"Baby, that's the Hayawa boy coming onto the property, that's their signal that they send out. The hawks are theirs. They had them fly ahead onto the property to let us know they're on their way," Peeta replied as he put on his jacket.

"Didn't they help build the house? They know where we live," I replied.

Peeta just shrugged at me in response. "It's just their way, it's a sign of respect. Naming the land is a great idea, love, why don't we all think about it and come up with ideas to share with everyone later? For now though, we have to get started on the community or no one's going to want to live in Katniss Gardens."

"Lord, that is a terrible name," I replied back. Peeta smiled at me and gave me a quick kiss goodbye on his way out. "I'll miss you, baby."

"Maybe if you're lucky your daughter and I will come bring over lunch to the site later," I said back to him.

"I'm counting on it," he said with a wink before he left the room. Damien and Gale followed Peeta out but not before they both messed my hair on the way out as a way of saying goodbye. Thresh just gave me a parting smile. After kissing Annie goodbye, Finnick just saluted the room full of women.

"Naming the property really is a good idea, Katniss," Annie said, picking up the conversation where we left off. "We'll think of something before everyone arrives."

"In the meantime, let's get started. If the Hawaya men are on their way then it won't be long until their wives show up and we have a lot to do before we start making more hammocks," Rue said.

"I really wish we could put actual beds in the sleeping quarters. It's bothering me that we don't have a better place to put them than in a dormitory setting," I said.

"It is what it is. They'll just be happy to have somewhere to sleep they can call theirs," Johanna piped in for the first time this morning. "Besides, I think you're underestimating how many people are going to be showing up after spending over two months in a displaced person's camp eating slop. At least our place will have actual walls and no barbed wire. And hammocks will incentivize them to work harder so they can get independent faster."

I was constantly taken aback by how bluntly and emotionlessly Johanna was able to talk about delicate subjects. These poor people had been tricked, abused, evicted and almost left for dead, and yet Johanna was able to cut right to the facts.

"What? Seriously? There's no reason to start popping anxiety pills over this, Katniss. You and Peeta are already being extremely generous, and you're sitting here saddened that you can't give them more? You're too damn nice. How many other American's do you see blowing away their inheritance and giving away pieces of their property to a bunch of fucking foreign teenagers who were stupid enough to trust their government?" All of our faces were blank with shock. Johanna took our silence to prove her point. "That's what I thought. I'll clean up and feed the leftovers to the pigs," she said, clearing the plates from the table.

Hope picked that moment to wake up and demand her breakfast. Rue brought her over to me and said, "Don't worry about Johanna. Anyways, she does have a point, look at how much you and Peeta are going to be giving these people as it is. I promise you the Panem refugees will be more than happy for the hammock." She kissed Hope's head before giving her to me.

I cuddled Hope close to me and cooed to my daughter as I watched Rue and Annie head toward the back door. "I'll feed the chickens if you feed the sheep. We can meet up at the dairy barn after that and tag team the milk station," Rue said to Annie.

"Hey, what about me?" I said listening to them divvy up the mornings chores without including me.

"You worry about feeding the next generation, mommy. We'll take care of feeding the livestock. I know you'll come find us when babe's got her fill," Annie responded back to me. She had Finn by the hand as they all walked out toward the meadow where we kept the animals. The animals had arrived a couple of weeks ago and we were still waiting on more to arrive from the large order of supplies we placed last month. In the meantime, we were keeping them happy until the new refugees could take over the responsibility. We figured that each refugee would get assigned an animal if they chose farming to be their area of interest, and they could take the animal with them when they moved to their own land parcel. Until that happened, though, there was always more work to be done.

I said goodbye to Johanna and took Hope with me to Prim's room. I hadn't wanted to draw attention to her absence so I waited until everyone else had left before checking up on her. The old habits from my childhood refused to die, I guess.

"Prim? Honey, are you awake?" I walked slowly into the pitch-black room trying to make out any movement. The thick curtains had been pulled tightly shut so that not an ounce of sunlight penetrated the room. There was an ominous feel to the space and I hated that such a dark aura surrounded my sister. I managed to make it over to her nightstand and turned on a lamp. Prim lay in her bed staring straight ahead, unblinking. Her beautiful eyes were rimmed with dark shadows, and her face was sunken and pale. I swallowed back a cry of sorrow at seeing my baby sister hurting like this.

"Hey, sweetie. It's time to get up. There's so much to do today, I'm going to need your help around the plantation," I said sweetly. Over the past couple of months Prim had developed a random pattern of good days and bad days. I never knew when the bad days would end, I only knew that the good days were too rare to provide much contrast. Today was clearly a bad day.

"Do you want to have some breakfast? There are pancakes." As overjoyed as I have been these past couple of months, I can't help but admit that Prim's sorrow has diluted much of the joy I have felt. I have everything. I have my loving husband, my darling daughter, and we are all happy, healthy, and free. We saved Prim from a fate worse than death, but at the price of forcing her to carry on with a broken heart. I wish I knew some way to help her pick the pieces back up, but the only answer I can come up with is time. Unfortunately I fear time has been making things worse for Prim instead of better. "Prim, please get up. I brought Hope to see you. I was just about to feed her and thought I would stop in with her."

When Prim still didn't answer me I moved to open the curtains some and let in some sunlight. I cracked open the window to allow in some fresh air and the distant sounds of crashing waves and flying seagulls helped chase away some of the shadows in the space. Prim didn't seem to notice so I sat down in her chaise and fed Hope while I gave Prim time to get up. When Hope was finished eating and Prim still hadn't stirred I decided to just accept that today would be a bad day. So I gave Prim a kiss on the head, shut off her bedside lamp and allowed the darkness to keep her company for another day. I simply did not know what else to do.

Peeta's Pov

Beads of sweat slowly made their way down my neck as I lifted the support beam to stand at a ninety-degree angle with the ground. We had made amazing progress this morning and I was optimistic that the town hall would be framed by sundown. There was still a lot of work to be done until then, but it was nice to see the fruits of your labor start to take shape.

"Alright, on the count of three everybody let go. 1..2..3.!"

The guys and I released the support beam on the count of three and looked up to see it locked securely in place between two of the tall columns.

"Good work everybody. We've made a ton of progress - why don't we take a twenty minute break for lunch?"

"Sounds good to me boss!" Finnick said, wiping a rag across his forehead. "You must have a sixth sense, because the girls literally just got here."

I looked over my shoulder and smiled to see Katniss walking toward me with a basket of food in her hands. I jogged over to her and set the basket down under a tree before grabbing her face in my hands and going in for a long kiss. I really did miss her, even after only a few hours. Looking at her in a low cut sundress with her hair tied in loose braids made me wish I gave the guys a half hour break so I could sneak off and fool around a little with my wife. The doctor said absolutely no sex for six weeks after Hope was born and the restraint has nearly killed me. Not that we haven't cheated some in our moments of weakness. Still, only a few more days left until the ban was lifted, and I was counting down every minute.

"Hey you. I missed you," I said, pulling away from her and caressing her cheek with my hand.

"I missed you too, sexy. If I knew you'd be out here working without a shirt on I would have opted to act as overseer for the construction. I still might actually," she said back to me playfully.

"You should have told me baby, you would have been a much better overseer then Julio over there. He's no fun to look at and he shouts at us to work faster," I said, nodding my head toward the overweight Hawaya tribesman who was the appointed overseer.

"Aw shucks. I guess I'll have to settle for stealing your time while you're on break then," she said giving me another kiss. God, I loved this woman. I heard some baby noises coming from Katniss' backpack and looked around her to see Hope flailing her baby arms.

"Hey baby girl! I'm so glad mommy brought you out," I said as I lifted Hope from her carrier. I gave my daughter a little kiss on the cheek before tucking her against me with my arm and taking Katniss' hand in mine. "I'm so glad you're both here. Come on, let's go make out in the shade, then maybe when we're both hot and bothered enough we can have some lunch and you can tell me about your morning." She gave off a throaty laugh as I'd intended and I stole another kiss before leading her over to a cluster of trees nearby.

"You only have fifteen minutes - try not to get her pregnant again!" Damien shouted from his spot with the crew. As per our usual I laughed then shook my head and gave him the finger.

**Thank you to my readers for their support. Looking forward to continuing this journey with all of you. Special thanks to my beta, Katnissinme for her hard work! The first few chapters have a lot of new information so please bare with me, I promise you won't regret it. Please review! **


	3. No More Waiting- Bonus Chapter!

**Hi Everyone! Thank you for your patience with this update. Last week I was incredibly sick and was unable to do anything let alone write. As a thank you heres a pure smut chapter for your reading pleasure. I promise to have another update that furthers the story to you guys soon. In the meantime please let me know what you think! Looking forward to hearing from you and please don't forget to review! **

* * *

Two weeks earlier…

18 minutes until 7 o'clock. Only 18 minutes until it was Hope's bed time and I could put her down to rest for the night. 18 minutes until Peeta and I could excuse ourselves from dinner and finally have mind blowing, earth shattering, crazy sex again.

I sat at dinner trying to keep my breathing normal. Peeta was talking animatedly to Finnick from across the table while his fingers secretly circled my clit under the table. It had been 42 long, sexually tense days since Peeta had last fucked me. Not to say we hadn't made love, because we had. It had just been over six weeks since we had _real sex _and that's what I wanted after six weeks of no penetration. I wanted to be fucked long and hard by the man sitting next to me. His blonde curls tossed and his stunning blue eyes, dark and dangerous, as he talked dirty to me.

Sure we had "fooled around" some, made love even, but the doctor had given us strict orders before I left the hospital that we could cause severe damage if we took up an active sex life too soon after natural child birth. So we were "chaste," well chaste for us at least. The first few weeks of nothing but oral sex and heavy petting were still blissful, but after the first week I missed having him inside me. I had even confronted Annie on a few occasions to try to see if, as a wife, mother and nurse, she would be more lenient then my doctor had been.

"_You're sure I need to wait the full six weeks? Positive?"_

_Annie laughed out loud. "Kat, believe me I get it. I've been there, and if what I hear from Rue is even close to the truth this is probably a__** huge **__challenge for both of you, but I'm serious, you can really hurt yourself. It's not in any of our best interests to go back to the hospital because you guys can't keep it in your pants for a few more weeks." _

_I grumbled to myself as I walked away. You'd think that after the hundreds of thousands of years women have been doing this they would have at least figured out how to make that area heal faster. _

The wait was finally over and it was clear from Peeta's promiscuous touch that he was well aware of that fact. I stifled a moan with a large burst of air when he put direct pressure on my clit. No one seemed to notice as the girls giggled at some little joke Annie had just told. When she caught my eye I could tell she knew what was on my mind and I quickly looked away.

Annie had given me a small follow up exam earlier this afternoon in the infirmary while little Finn took his nap and Peeta and the boys worked in the community. When Annie told me I was completely healed I bit my lip to keep from shouting out my happiness.

"_We'll take Hope for the night for you guys if you'd like."_

Annie had offered after she finished the exam and told me I could get dressed. I caught her off guard with a hug so strong that we both almost toppled over.

11 minutes… and Peeta's fingers were showing no signs of slowing their motions in my underwear. I brought my water glass to my mouth as I pretended to listen avidly to the table conversation.

"What do you think about that, Katniss?" Thresh asked me.

I had no idea what they had been talking about and Peeta decided to choose that exact moment to stick his finger inside me.

I took a sip of water trying to stifle a moan and pretend like I hadn't heard Thresh's question. It had clearly not worked well enough because Thresh not only waited for a reply but shot me a strange look before he continued the conversation with Damien.

This was the first time Peeta had ever played with me in front of our friends. I had to admit that the secrecy of it was a turn on I hadn't expected. Peeta inserted a second finger and curled the two of them against me. I bit the inside of my lip so hard to keep from crying out that I drew blood.

I needed to get back to our room, otherwise I was going to be climaxing at the table. 9 minutes… Nine minutes was good enough for me. Just as I was about to get up Peeta leaned over and whispered in my ear.

"You have such a wet, sweet pussy, my little wife. Your walls are milking my fingers so hungrily. I can't wait until it's finally my dick." He finished his sentence by rubbing his thumb over my clit in tandem to his finger fucking. The intense pleasure ripped through me and I gripped his upper thigh hard as I came.

He removed his fingers and said to me in a husky voice, "Now, why don't you quietly excuse yourself and wait for me to come fuck you in a few minutes." He said it as if he was telling me some private joke, and I was shocked to see that no one at the table had noticed what just happened.

All I could manage was a nod, as my breathing was too heavy and made it hard to speak. I had just had an orgasm at the kitchen table in front of my entire group of family and friends and I was already turned on and ready to go again. I could see the smug look on Peeta's face and decided to leave him with a parting gift.

Just before I stood up from the table I grabbed the bulge in Peeta's pants and cupped it, squeezing gently. "I'm not feeling too well, please excuse me," I said to the group without letting on how affected I was. As I turned I was able to catch the look of shock and arousal on Peeta's face. I barely acknowledged everyone's wishes to feel better as I sauntered off.

"Poor Kat, she was kind of out of it tonight, you could tell," Thresh said to Finnick. I listened as I heard a chair scrape on the floor.

"Yeah, I should go check on her," I heard Peeta say clumsily as he got up. "Annie, do you mind watching Hope for a few minutes?"

"Of course, Peeta, you go make sure Katniss is feeling better. I'll feed Hope and put her to bed," Annie replied quickly. I stifled a laugh as I thought about how Peeta's face must look to have Annie take care of Hope for the night. I hadn't had a chance to tell him that she had offered.

When he rounded the corner into the hall I didn't have time to think before he grabbed me and pushed me up against the wall. His body was flush with mine and his arms trapped me where I stood. The moment was charged with a sexual tension I hadn't felt since before the baby, and I found myself desperate to get closer to him. Peeta's large hands cupped my ass and lifted me against him so that I could feel his need for me through our clothing.

His arms lifted me and I immediately wrapped my legs around his waist as I let his body act as an anchor for mine. "I've missed this so much. I hope you're not planning on sleeping tonight, Mrs. Mellark, because I have a lot of pent up energy stored for you," Peeta breathed against my mouth.

I let out a small whimper as his lips found my throat. I felt us moving but was too overcome with sexual need to pay much attention to where we were going. I heard a door open and my back immediately press against a wall again, knocking something to the floor. I opened my eyes enough to see that we were not in our bedroom as I had expected, but in the storage closet in the hall.

"What..?" I questioned although it came out more as a moan.

"I can't wait long enough to get to our room before I get inside you. I need you right now," Peeta said as he bit down on my ear. I couldn't contain the sharp moan the combination of his words and his touch elicited from me. We frantically fumbled for the fastenings on his pants, working quickly to free him. Without releasing me from his hold Peeta tore at my clothes until he managed to remove enough layers to plunge deep inside me.

The sweet friction of finally being rejoined with him was so strong that tears flooded my eyes. "Holy shit, Kat, you feel amazing." He moaned as his hands grasped my hips even harder. He began to pound into me with an intensity that had me crying his name. He covered my mouth with his to stifle my shouts of ecstasy but didn't slow his pace. Every thick, sweet glide of him into my aching center brought me closer to the shattering climax I knew awaited me. Higher and higher I climbed as random possessions began to fall on us from his heavy thrusting against the shelf wall.

"Peeta, please. Oh god, please..." I was shaking with the need for release and had succumbed to begging him for the euphoria only he could give me. In response he pinched my nipple hard and the pleasure pain pushed me over the edge into oblivion. My entire body stiffened and my center contracted around his hard cock but Peeta continued to push into me, drawing out every last moment of my release. With one final thrust he began to shake with the force of his own release, his hands grasping me so firmly that I knew I would have bruises in the morning.

When we both recovered enough to look at one another I could see the hunger still ever present in his eyes. "Did I hurt you?" he said without breaking eye contact. I bent my head down to kiss him. "Definitely not. I would say hurt is the exact opposite of what you just managed."

"Thank god, because there is no way I am going to be able to get enough of you tonight," he said, returning my earlier kiss. The shift in his body made it clear that he was ready to go again so soon after our coupling.

"Well then what are you waiting for, Mr. Mellark?" I purred close to his ear.

"We have a little problem," he said, looking down at my naked body joined with his. "The closet seemed like a great solution earlier, but considering the fact that we live with over a half a dozen other people and I literally just ripped your clothes off I am trying to think of a creative way to get you to our room without everyone knowing what we were just up to."

He had a point_. _I looked around the dim closet and noticed a throw that had fallen off one of the shelves. "Well, it's not going to keep anyone from knowing what we were up to, but if we move fast we may be able to avoid any questioning," I said as I gestured to the discarded blanket.

"Well then, I guess we better move fast," Peeta replied, picking up the throw and tossing it around me.

My body buzzed from the unbelievable stimulation I had experienced over the past eight hours with Peeta. With great effort I moved my head enough so I could see Peeta out of the corner of my eye. His muscular body shone with the sweat of our love making and his blonde hair was pressed against his forehead after hours of exertion.

"I know it's been awhile, but I swear we have never done _that_ before," I said hoarsely, my voice almost gone from the countless screaming orgasms I had experienced throughout the night. Peeta had placed me in various unique positions that had me crying out over and over while he resisted orgasm.

"It's called Tantra or Tantric sex. I had been going through some old texts and articles on the monitor on the nights that I had trouble sleeping and came across it. The practice was established almost a thousand years ago to bring two partners closer together sexually and spiritually. I was fascinated by it and continued to learn more during our wait," he explained, almost just as breathless and hoarse as I was.

"It's amazing. How did you... How did you hold out so long?" I whispered, my breathing still harsh.

"It wasn't easy, and I can't promise I can do that every time. It took a lot of concentration and control, that's for sure. But it was worth it to watch you come for me over and over like that….and I have to admit the end was…unbelievable.. like nothing I have ever experienced," he admitted, as his fingers caressed the palm of my hand. The light touch was soothing and expressed the perfection of the moment as we laid together in bliss. "And that's something, considering I thought making love with you couldn't get any better."

He brought his arm slowly around me and pulled my body closer to his. His fingers caressed my back as we laid idly against each other. I felt the heaviness in my lids and realized we had stayed up all night having wild, tantric sex. Of all the daydreams and fantasies I had had about this night over the past month and a half, tonight they had been exceeded. As I drifted off into sleep I heard Peeta whisper in my ear, "Sleep now, love, so tomorrow I can teach you some more new things."


	4. Shadows in the Sun

I held Katniss in my arms under the shade of a low-hanging tree as I listened to her tell me about Prim. Every so often a stray tear would fall down her cheek and break a little piece of my heart. I loved this woman more then anything, and hated seeing her upset. As I wiped the tears from her cheeks, I mulled over in my head what would be best for the situation. I had come to care for Prim as my own sister. Although I have not yet gotten a chance to see the happy and bubbly Prim that Katniss so often refers to, I can tell that my sister-in-law's intense grief is crippling her true personality. The glimpses of the real Prim that shine through in rare moments of happiness have become less and less common.

"Maybe we should consider having her speak to a doctor, love?" I said gently to Katniss. I loved my wife but she was not one to trust outsiders quickly.

"Who would she possibly talk to about this when she won't even talk to me?"

"It could be that she loves you too much to talk about it with you. Maybe she needs an outsider, someone less connected to her, to feel comfortable?" I tried to offer.

"Did you ever talk to someone about Thommy's death? About that night?" I cringed, knowing my answer would not help my case.

"They came to talk to me in the hospital, but I never opened up. I never trusted anyone enough to talk about it until you."

"But you had Damien to talk to," Katniss said. I could see the parallel she was making in her mind and needed to make sure she understood the difference in situations.

"Love, Damien was in no state to talk to me about that night. It was a completely different situation. The Damien you know…well, it took a long time for him to get back to that. Before you came into our lives, he was in worse shape than I was when you found me," I said to her quietly as I pushed a stray hair from the side of her face. "The only thing we can do for Prim is send her to speak with someone who handles this kind of thing professionally, or let her come around on her own time. It's your decision to make and I will support you with whatever decision that is. I will do anything I can for my family sweetheart, you know that." I gave her a lingering kiss on the lips before slowly getting up to sit in front of her.

"The lunch break is over. Do you want me to have one of the guys take over my shift? I can come back with you if you want."

"Of course I want you to. I'm selfish and wish I could keep you all to myself, but those guys need you so I'll just have to keep busy until you get back," she said with a small smile and a loving look. I bent down to give her another kiss and then moved to give Hope a little kiss on the head as well. My little angel was napping peacefully in her carrier, completely oblivious to the serious talk her mother and I had been having. I turned back to look at Katniss with a smile on my face.

"All current worries aside, have I mentioned how inconceivably happy you both make me?"

"You make me just as happy, love. Now go, I don't want anyone accusing the boss of slacking on the job," she said, getting up and giving me one last kiss.

I reluctantly left her side, got back to work and ignored the nagging feeling that said I needed to be with her right now. She was right - I had other responsibilities, but I couldn't help but wish they didn't take me away from those I loved.

Katniss's POV

I walked with Hope back toward the house. It was good to talk to Peeta about my fears, I just wish that we had more options available to help Prim. I stopped by the make-shift barn we had quickly erected to house the animals to see if I could be of use. It wasn't just Peeta who had responsibilities, and I needed to get out of my head and get back to my own tasks.

"What can I help with?" I said looking at Annie.

"Nothing, I'm on my last round of milking, thank god. I'm telling you, Kat, when we ordered these things we did not think it through enough. I have another incredibly large order to place on just farming accessories alone. I have a newfound respect for our forefathers who did all of this sans technology. Milking cows is hard work, I tell you." She stretched her back as she stood up off her stool. "Anyway, how are the guys doing? Have you checked in on Rue and the village women yet?"

"Just came back from the work site. The guys are making a lot of progress, that much I can tell you. As for Rue, this was my first stop. If you're done, we can drop off the last of the milk in storage and head that way together," I said with a smile.

"Sounds good to me. You know, once these people show up I am taking a nice, long vacation," she replied with a smirk. Annie and I had developed a kind of easy friendship that had only gotten stronger since I had become a mother. She has been extremely helpful in answering all of my questions about Hope, my body, and dealing with life as a new mother. I had been really lucky to have her around when my own mother was not only far away but also in no position to answer those questions.

"I'm with you on that one. I can't wait to have some quiet time to myself when this community is up and running. In the meantime, we better haul ass because we have about a million things to do until then. "

The rest of the afternoon rushed by in a flurry of activity. Between hammock making, sheep herding, winter vegetable planting, and baby feedings, I was surprised to look up and see the sun had set and the men were walking in sweaty and tired from their work day. Peeta came over to me and kissed my head, "Come with me?" he whispered in my ear so no one could hear. I gave him a short nod and looked over to see Rue asleep on the couch with Hope. Everyone else was quietly going about unwinding, so we ducked down the hall and headed to our suite. Wordlessly, Peeta moved us into the bathroom and turned on the shower before turning to me with that intense look in his eyes I had come to love. He undressed us slowly, never breaking eye contact with me, before he pushed us directly under the spray of water. The moment our lips met we melted together. Peeta ran his hands along my body, taking his time and savoring our connection. He brought me flush against him before connecting us completely. I had missed this physical link while my body slowly recovered, but the waiting was finally over. He made love to me slowly and reverently until our cries of elation came to a crescendo so strong that tears mixed with the water running down our skin. He wouldn't let me go even once the shower had been shut off and our bodies had been dried. He sat down with me on our bed and took my face between both of his hands.

"This was supposed to weaken. This all-consuming need to be with you was supposed to dull by this point, become manageable at the very least. It hasn't. Katniss, I don't know what to do. When you walk away from me my body hurts from not following you. I love you so much, you're my weakness, my strength… everything. Today was unbearable, being far away from the two of you and not being able to look over and see if you're both okay. I hated it," he whispered as he rested his forehead against mine.

"I know love, I know. I didn't like being away from you either. We'll figure something out alright?" I whispered back, taking his lips in a gentle kiss.

"Is this normal? Annie and Finnick seem fine. Everyone else seems fine after not seeing his or her partner for the day. Is it just us?"

"I don't know, honey, but that doesn't matter to me. We're us and we have gone through different things that other couples have no idea about. I don't care if it's normal, I wouldn't change any of it." He nodded his head against mine before bringing me in for a tight hug.

"What brought this on today, baby? I know we haven't spent much time apart in awhile, but we saw each other at lunch…"

"I don't know. When I watched you walk away from me I had this feeling like, if I wasn't going to go with you I would lose you. I can't explain it. I know you probably think I'm nuts."

"I don't. I've felt that way quite a few times before, too," I whispered to him.

"I'm terrified of things changing. I know we're doing the right thing, building this, inviting those with nothing to take a chance at a new beginning, but… I'm really terrified. Once they're here, I will have nowhere else to hide us long-term. If something happens…we'll be forced to leave our home behind."

"I know baby, I'm scared too. We have so much to lose now, it's not a comfortable feeling."

"I think we should keep the mountain a secret from the new community."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, I think as a way of protecting ourselves, no one should know the location of the real house. We'll use another tunnel and build a false entrance that we use as a public one. What do you think?"

"I think that's a smart decision. We have too much to lose to stop taking precautions now." I kissed his cheek before burying my face into the crook of his neck. We held each other like that for a few more minutes before we agreed to get dressed. As reluctant as I was to let go of him, the rest of our lives called to us.

We walked back toward the main room where we knew everyone would be congregating for dinner. I was lost in thought and didn't notice Peeta veer us down another hall towards Prim's room.

"I wanted to check in on her, I hope that's okay." Peeta said to me quietly.

I loved how much he cared about my sister. He clearly loved her, and although they didn't have a close relationship, I knew that once Prim healed that would rapidly change. They were too similar in spirit to not mesh. Peeta knocked on the door lightly before coming into the room. The air had grown cool now that twilight had set in and I moved into the room quickly to close the window I had opened this morning.

"Hey, sunshine. You have a nice, lazy day in bed?" Peeta said, coming over to sit on the edge of the mattress. Prim responded with a slight rising of the corner of her mouth that I knew was intended as a smile. "Well listen, you take as many days as you need. We know when you're ready to get up you will, alright?" Peeta said, moving some of the hair out of her face like he would a small child.

"Prim, is there anything I can get for you? Do you want to come with us to dinner?" I said from the corner of the room.

She didn't even shift to look at me. That hurt. It was hard seeing her like this, the way I had seen my mom for so many mornings. I felt the anger boiling inside of me thinking about Prim ending up like our mother. In some home, not knowing what day it was, not bothering to come out of her comatose world to find out. When Prim didn't respond to my questions I could feel myself losing patience quickly.

"Let's go, Peeta, she's clearly tired and wants time to herself," I said quickly. The truth is, I didn't know what Prim wanted or needed right now. I just knew I needed to leave before I said something to her I would regret.

"How about we bring Hope in to say goodnight when we bring you up a dinner tray, would you like that?" Peeta said, bringing some enthusiasm to his voice.

I was surprised to see Prim make eye contact with him and nod. She swallowed before speaking, "Thanks Peeta, I would like that." Her voice was low and scratchy from lack of use, but just hearing her speak lifted my spirits and made me take a sigh of relief. We left her room and made our way toward dinner, feeling surprisingly better about our situation.

We laughed, we ate, and we talked about nonsense. The worries of yesterday and today were all but forgotten as I was able to look around at how lucky I was to have everyone close to me safe. Peeta brought up the idea for the fake entrance to the main house and Finnick suggested that if they were already going out of their way to make it look like a house why not make it a townhome of sorts. The main house would still be where we all gathered for meals, etc., but this way Finnick and Annie would have a home of their own. With everyone on board with the planned safety precautions we dispersed from the table, everybody calling it an early night. Before going to bed we stopped by Prim's room as promised and had her say goodnight to baby Hope.

She was surprisingly alert and calm as she talked to us and let Hope squeeze her finger with her fist. She even ate some soup, which made me happy. She gave Hope a kiss and even hugged me before saying goodnight. As I walked back to my bedroom with Peeta I felt more optimistic about Prim's situation. Sure she had bad days, but she wasn't turning into my mother. I could see that. She would pull through. That knowledge left a smile on my face and my sleep free from nightmares that night.

The next morning I woke up to see the sun shining high in the sky and couldn't believe how long I had overslept. Peeta wasn't by my side and Hope wasn't in her little bed so I assumed he had gotten up with her and let me sleep in. I stretched lazily on the bed, smiling at how relaxed and well-rested I felt. I found a little note on my side table from Peeta.

_You were sleeping so peacefully I couldn't bear to wake you. I took Hope with me to the site for some daddy/daughter bonding time. She's fed and changed so you can take the morning off. I love you, angel. _

I smiled at the note and the little gift Peeta gave me. A whole morning to sleep in to myself, I didn't even know what to do. Just then, the door to my room burst open and Rue came in pale-faced and serious.

"Katniss, you need to come right now. It's Prim."

Special Thanks to my Beta, Katnissinme for all of her help. Reviews are always very appreciated!


	5. Losing Sight

Peeta's POV

I found her slumped in the chair next to the hospital bed. Her eyes were red and puffy, her hair mussed from running her hands through it nervously. She didn't even look up when I came in. The light beeping alerted me to the fact that my sister-in-law was stable and would live another day. When I reached Katniss she still wouldn't meet my eyes. I wordlessly picked her up and carried her with me over to the small couch in the corner of the room and just held her. When she started to cry I pulled her tighter to me; it was all I could do. Ever since they came to get me from the work site I had been in a state of panic. Now that I was holding Katniss in my arms, I was finally able to breathe again.

Apparently, after breakfast Gale had sent Johanna to go check on Prim. While we were all out working, Prim had come to a decision that she didn't want to live anymore. She had gone into our bathroom at some point and grabbed Katniss' bottle of pain medication that the doctor had prescribed her after giving birth. She must have also grabbed a bottle of scotch sometime during the night. Johanna found Prim lying unconscious on her bathroom floor in a puddle of vomit. Not worrying about the consequences, Johanna had called an ambulance without waiting to notify any of us. Her spur of the moment decision had given the location of the main house away, putting all of us in danger, and yet I will forever be in her debt. If she had waited even a few minutes longer, who knows what may have happened differently. The doctors called Prim's attempted suicide a self-poisoning, and told me it was a common method girls her age used to end their lives. Apparently they have seen a large influx of these cases in freed Panem slaves, particularly women. I didn't feel the need to explain to the doctor my sister-in-law's life story, so once I had the facts I cut him off and demanded he take me to her room.

I listened to Katniss' wracking sobs, knowing that before I got here she probably hadn't let herself cry. That was the thing with Katniss - she was great at keeping it together until someone else could shoulder the burden, then she was able to let go of it. We sat like that for a few hours. Katniss fell asleep on me around the same time her tears finally slowed. Out of the corner of my eye I was able to watch nurses come in and out to adjust monitors and administer medications to Prim. This must have happened at least three or four times before Prim finally opened her bloodshot eyes and looked around. Katniss was still passed out on the couch, her head on my lap. I was about to wake her when I saw Prim's eyes fill with panic; she shook her head no, telling me not to wake her sister. I let Katniss continue to sleep and moved over to Prim's side, taking her hand in mine.

"Hey slugger," I said gently by way of greeting. Prim's eyes filled up with tears and I could see her biting her lip to keep the emotions in.

"You can let it out, sweetie," I said to her. She just shook her head at me.

"No, really, you can. Something I realized when I was sitting here was that I hadn't seen you cry since you first found out about everything. Did you know that Katniss wouldn't let herself fall apart until I was holding her? I think it has something to do with making sure that if she falls apart, I'll be there to put her back together. I can be that for you too, Prim. If you need someone, I'm here. No judgment. You can let it out."

When I squeezed her hand gently she let out a hiccoughing gasp and I watched as the tears began flowing freely down her face. Her face reddened and her body shook with the force of her cries. I just sat with her and held her hand. I kept a straight face even though my heart was breaking for all the pain my little sister had had to endure. While we had been happy and moving forward, she had been trapped behind in unbearable pain.

"I'm so….ashamed and…embarrassed…," Prim cried to me.

"Sweetie, there's no reason to feel any of those things. We just want to help you get better. I'm so sorry I didn't try to help you sooner," I said to her, working hard to keep it together for her.

"Why are you sorry? I should be sorry, you…you risked everything to save my…life... and I…I tried to throw it away…I'm so…sorry...Peeta. I'm sorry…you've been so good to me and Katniss…I...I'm…just...selfish...forgive me…," she cried to me.

I felt Katniss brush past me and climb into bed with Prim. When Prim saw Katniss was awake, her crying started up again with a vengeance. Katniss moved to hold Prim, who curled into her big sister's embrace.

I watched the two of them cry against each other for a long while. When everyone's tears finally began to slow, I tried to come up with a reason to leave so the girls would have some time alone to talk. My growling stomach provided the perfect excuse.

"Why don't I go down and get some lunch for everyone? I'll bet you both that I can sway the nurse into letting you have a popsicle, Prim," I said to them.

"If anyone can pull it off, Peeta, I know it would be you," Katniss replied. I got up and gave both girls a kiss on the head before moving out of the room. It was probably a good idea that I also give the group an update on how Prim was doing.

"Oh, what flavor?" I said back to them quickly from the doorway.

"Cherry, please," Prim replied softly.

"Cherry it is, princess," I said before I closed the door softly behind me.

Katniss's pov

Prim and I watched Peeta leave the room before turning back to each other. For some reason the situation became incredibly awkward after he left. Without Peeta to act as a buffer to all of our unspoken questions they swirled around us, suffocating the room until it was clear neither of us was brave enough to voice them. When I found out what Prim had done, a myriad of emotions coursed through me. At first I didn't want to believe it, that she could have gotten so bad as to try to…I couldn't say it. I couldn't even think about what she had tried to do without getting angry and upset. I felt so guilty that I wasn't able to help her more. I didn't see that she had progressed to such a severe level of depression. I had no idea how to help her, and I was terrified that anything I said would make it worse. I needed Peeta back. Somehow, he always managed to say the right thing. I continued to hold Prim until I decided to take the safe route and just reiterate what it was that Peeta had said.

"Prim, I love you. I just want to help you get better. Whatever you need, I'm here, okay?" Three sentences and I felt as if I had just addressed the nation. The fear that was coursing through me as I spoke was so palpable I was sure Prim must have noticed. Luckily for me she seemed to have been so lost in her own thoughts that all she did was nod.

"Thanks, Katniss," she said to me quietly. Then we just sat in silence again. Finally, after what felt like hours but in reality was only fifteen minutes, Peeta returned to the room.

"Okay! I have juice, I have food, and I have popsicles! Who's hungry?" Peeta said with a smile. We ate quietly before a nurse knocked on our door.

"Ms. Everdeen, a doctor is here to speak with you. Her name is Dr. Nori, she is a psychiatrist with the hospital. She wants to know if now is a good time," the nurse asked cheerily.

I watched Prim's eyes go wide at the thought of having to talk to anyone about this. I was about to tell her that she didn't have to talk to anyone, but I swallowed down my natural instinct to comfort her. She did have to talk to someone. She needed help, and I wasn't enough for her. A full minute went by before Prim nodded her head in agreement.

"Prim, Kat and I are just going to be out in the hall. We're just going to call home and check on Hope, ok? If you need anything, we'll be by the nurses' station," Peeta said as he came over to me and we made our way out of the room. I wanted to stay and listen to what the doctor had to say. I wanted to protect Prim, but I followed Peeta anyway. I knew Peeta was still thinking logically about what was best for Prim. I wasn't sure if I could say the same about myself.

In the hall we saw Dr. Nori. She gave us a smile and came over to introduce herself.

"Hi Katniss, Peeta? I'm Doctor Nori. I'm going to have a talk with Prim and run a couple of tests, but after that can we find a time for us to talk? That is, if we have Prim's permission, of course. Maybe we can meet in the family lounge in a half hour or so?"

I was choked up and didn't know what to say. I had mixed feelings about this Dr. Nori, I was worried she would do more harm than good but knew one talk couldn't hurt anything. I nodded my head and Peeta responded for us.

"We would very much appreciate that, doctor. Thank you. We will speak with you then," Peeta said as he led me into the family lounge down the hall from Prim's room.

The hospital was small and private which meant that for the right price we could keep the staff silent as to the fact that we were here. We weren't stupid, we knew we still had enemies. Although neither Peeta nor I had brought it up yet, we both knew that every day we stayed here we put our family at greater risk. The media now knew we lived in this region, which meant so did those wishing to do us harm. Every minute we spent off our property, outside of our own security system, we gave them more information about our whereabouts. It was why we decided it best that only Peeta and I come to the hospital with Prim. We left Hope at home. She was much too young to be here anyway, and the price tag on a picture of the famous Mellark baby was so high that we couldn't afford to risk bringing her out.

Peeta punched in the code for our private family lounge and brought me into the room. It was decorated much like Prim's room, the same calming color scheme with a sea foam green accent wall. We sat down on the couch together and Peeta wrapped his arm around my shoulders, giving me a little squeeze.

"Talk to me, honey."

"I don't even know where to start. I feel so…" I could feel it bubbling up, the truth.

"What do you feel, love?"

"Angry! I'm so angry, Peeta, and just the fact that I'm angry makes me embarrassed. I'm so mad at her for not seeing the value in her life, that she would choose to throw it all away." I took some calming breaths before I kept going. "I feel so guilty. I wasn't enough for her. I didn't make her feel loved enough and I didn't get her help sooner. It's my fault, Peeta, it's my fault." I felt my tears betraying me. I gave in and cried quietly on his shoulder, feeling his warm hand rubbing my back soothingly.

"Kat, it's definitely not your fault. Prim is sick. She has severe depression that I failed to see just as much as you did. It's so hard to know when someone needs professional help versus when they can cope on their own. Before you came into my life, I had undiagnosed depression. You know that. I spent plenty of days the way Prim did in the beginning, and eventually I got better. I wasn't happy, not even close, but I just took it a day at a time until I was lucky enough to have a brother who misguidedly bought me a slave who I fell in love with." He kissed me on the forehead, then continued, "I let my own experience cloud my judgment with Prim. I told myself that if you had died I would be in worse shape then Prim. I wrote it off to grief and didn't push. What you're feeling, the guilt and sadness, I'm feeling it, too. Your anger is normal also. You love her so much and can so easily see how much of a gift she is to the world; you're mad at her for not seeing her worth…it makes sense, Kat. It does."

He held me like that as I waited for the tears to finally slow. He was right, as usual, but it didn't make me feel much better. He called Damien from his chip and I only half listened as he spoke. I only really started to listen when he mentioned our baby.

"…and that's all we know. How's Hope doing? Good. We miss her. No, I have no idea when we're going to be getting back at this point. We're going to be talking to her doctor soon…," I heard the door open. "Hey listen, Damien, Prim's doctor is here. I'll call you later." I felt Peeta stand up so I did the same. I looked over at Doctor Nori and hoped she had answers for us. I watched Peeta shake her hand before taking a seat on the couch again.

"Katniss, Peeta, I'm sorry, is it alright if I call you by your first names?" Doctor Nori asked.

"That's fine, Dr. Nori" I replied. She could call me bitch for all I cared; I just wanted her to tell me what was going on with Prim.

"Please, call me Safra," Dr. Nori responded.

"Alright, Safra. So what was it you wished to speak to us about? Are you who we direct questions about Prim's condition to?" Peeta asked her.

"I am Prim's mental professional. Prim has graciously allowed me to share my finding with you as her next of kin. It is my job to assess her level of stability, as well as pinpoint what variables contributed to her attempted suicide. I wanted to talk to you about my discoveries in Prim's case, and see if, as her loved ones, you could answer some questions about Prim's background that she did not answer. I was hoping I could inform you of what I know, and once we are all aware of the facts we could begin with questions?"

"That's fine, doctor," I replied back to her. I felt Peeta hold my hand as we waited for the doctor to begin.

"First, let me assure you that physically Prim will make a full recovery from the toxins she administered to her body. We have applied a temporary lining to her stomach and esophagus so her physical pain should be minimal as her body rejuvenates. As for her mental state, Prim's brain scans have come in confirming our hypothesis that she suffers from severe depression. We are able to see from tests that we performed on the brain as we spoke to Prim that both her amygdala and hippocampus are experiencing lethargy in the form of slow neurotransmissions. Additionally, her thalmus is now functioning at an abnormally slow level of cell division."

"I'm sorry, but can you repeat that with fewer medical terms?" I asked her.

"Of course, my apologies. Essentially, Katniss, your sister's brain is confirming that she is depressed because all of the signs of depression are biologically there."

"You guys are able to see that?" I asked, incredulous.

"Well…yes...Do they not offer the technology in Panem?" Dr. Nori asked innocently.

Oh, if she only knew. I was dying to let the dear doctor know that in Panem we were still burning people's skin to get it to melt back together because we could rarely afford sterile stitches. I will never get used to the technology this country takes for granted.

"No, I'm afraid not. Please continue."

"The depression symptoms seem to have begun a few months ago based on the signs of damage we can see on the cell tissue. Prim tells me that her boyfriend died a few months ago? Her medical chart also states that she experienced a miscarriage shortly after arriving in America? Prim also notified me that your mother is in a mental health facility for immobilizing depression, is that correct?"

"Um…yes to everything I suppose. Although I don't know what type of depression my mother has. I didn't even know there were categories of depression."

"Oh yes, we have been able to identify over fifty different forms of depression based on brain activity. It seems that between her early miscarriage, the death of her loved one, and her predisposition to the disease due to family history, Prim has been suffering severely from acute atypical and postpartum depressions."

"So what can we do for her?" Peeta asked quietly.

"We would suggest monitoring her overnight with the immediate administration of the drugs Laeauctus and Notristis, for neurotransmission absorption and expedited cell growth. We would also suggest that she move to a special facility where she can be monitored on a full-time basis."

"Your mean send her away?" Peeta asked taken aback.

"Absolutely not," I snapped. They were not taking my sister away from me when I just got her back.

"Doctor, what would they do for her at this facility?" Peeta asked, squeezing my hand to calm me.

"Prim would be monitored and given her prescriptions. She would also undergo daily counseling sessions and participate in activities meant to destress the mind and body."

"Is there an option to help Prim from home in a similar way? If we were to hire a private therapist to work with Prim?" Peeta asked back.

"I suppose that is a possibility, however full-time private treatment is exceedingly costly…"

"Whatever it is, we will pay it. If it is an option, that is how we will proceed. I can't imagine that what's best for Prim right now is to be ripped away from her support system. We will get Prim the therapy she needs, but she will remain at home."

I was speechless. I couldn't believe how quickly Peeta was able to plan a course of action that was viable for all of us. I was filled with love and gratitude for everything he continued to do for us.

"Very well. Now that we have that decided, would either of you like to ask any questions?"

I had so many questions that I couldn't decide which one to ask first. I turned to Peeta looking distraught. Thankfully, my husband knew me well enough to see how overwhelmed I was and once again was able to voice my thoughts.

"When should we begin to expect to see improvements in Prim's behavior? Is there a way to notice signs earlier should she attempt this sort of behavior again?" Peeta asked anxiously.

"Behavioral changes can take up to three weeks as the medication runs through the blood stream. As for full results, that differs by the individual patient, level of care and counseling. Should Prim suddenly begin experiencing any of her earlier extreme fatigue and disinterest, notify us immediately; it may be a sign that her medication dosages are not adequate and need to be adjusted. Other than that, she should not become so extreme as to try this again unless she tampers with the medication herself. Many patients are known to stop taking their medication once they feel they have 'recovered'. Removal of medication is a long process where we slowly lower dosages, allowing the patient's body to compensate for loss of the drug. Many patients are not candidates for drug removal, and may stay on the medication for the rest of their lives," Dr. Nori explained. A beeping noise went off in her ear before she stood up. "My sincerest apologies, I have been alerted to a medical emergency that needs my immediate attention. Should you have any more questions, please feel free to ask the nurses. I will be back later tonight as well as tomorrow to check on Prim and we can continue then as well."

With that she rapidly left the room leaving Peeta and me with hundreds more questions.

"She never said she would be okay," I said emotionlessly to Peeta. "She might never recover from this. The old Prim may never come back. What are we going to do, Peeta?" I asked despairingly.

"We're going to take this one day at a time. It's all we can do, love, and maybe one day without us even noticing it, she'll come back."

**Special thanks to my Beta, Katnissinme, for all of her help. Thanks to all my readers who continue to review, follow and favorite! It means so much and I look forward to hearing your comments as the story continues! **


	6. Graffitied Plans

Peeta's Pov

"Look who's home!" I said with forced enthusiasm as Katniss guided a very weak Prim into the house.

"Hey! Good to have you back, sugar! We missed you!" Annie said, coming over and giving Prim a delicate hug. Everyone came over and said hi to Prim, although Gale and Johanna were surprisingly absent. That kind of pissed me off; in my mind, Gale and Johanna were the most random of our bunch. Finnick and Annie's house burned down because they helped us, and we had become great friends. They had also become very helpful members of our cause to help the refugees. Johanna and Gale, on the other hand, they sort of just came one day and never thought to leave. The least they could do was greet Prim. I shook my head, clearing my thoughts. I was just on edge from the stress of everything. We had been gone for three days and we only managed to make it home just as the sun set even though Prim had been released this morning.

"Prim, I would be really excited if we could be roommates again. I missed having you around…would you move into my room with me?" Rue said sweetly to Prim. The doctors only released Prim on the condition that she would not sleep alone, so Rue thoughtfully agreed to room with Prim again. Rue suggested that perhaps Prim sleep in her room since there was 'better energy' in there. We had already told Prim of the new arrangement, but all the same, it was very nice for Rue to ask. Prim gave a shaky nod and started walking toward Rue's room with her. We watched her go just as Thresh came in carrying Hope.

"Baby girl! I missed you!" I said, taking my daughter from his arms and giving her multiple kisses on the head. Katniss came over and took Hope just as quickly from my arms.

"Mommy missed you, too! My beautiful baby! How is it possible that you got so big in the past three days?" Katniss cooed to Hope. I felt a genuine smile reach my face for the first time in three days as I watched Katniss cuddle our baby. I put my arms around Katniss and started leading her to our room.

"We're going to go unwind a little before dinner. Get cleaned up, feed Hope, and put her to sleep. We'll come back down for dinner and share what we know. That sound good?" I said to Annie and Finnick. Damien and Thresh were already in the kitchen working on dinner as they gave me a distracted nod of confirmation.

Katniss was holding Hope close to her and I was able to study how worn down she seemed as a result of the past three days. With any luck, the medical patches they placed on Prim would go a long way in her recuperation. I prayed that they would, if not just for Prim's sake then definitely for Kat's. We were just turning the corner toward our hallway when we heard muffled arguing.

"I swear to god, Gale, if you don't talk to that girl I will. She needs you, and you're being a coward! Don't say you don't know how to deal with this when we both know that you do! You just handled this with me for fuck's sake!" Johanna hissed at Gale.

"It's not really the same thing Jo, now is it? I can hardly treat her the way I treated you, can I?" Gale hissed back.

"I'm not telling you to fuck her demons away, Gale. I'm just telling you to talk to the girl for god's sake!"

Oh shit was this awkward. I looked over at Katniss to see her incredibly uncomfortable. I motioned to her that we should turn around just as they noticed we were there.

"Ah shit. Listen, guys, what you heard…" Gale started. He subconsciously rubbed his hand behind his neck in a nervous gesture I had come to mark as distinctly Gale.

"Gale, listen. It's not my business. I am exhausted. I want to go spend a few minutes unwinding with my family in peace, all right? Yes, you are a huge asshole if you don't talk to Prim. That's all I'm going to say," Katniss muttered as she tried to control her temper.

She started walking off with Hope and I followed her to our room, shaking my head at Gale to not respond. We were all too short on patience right now to have an intelligent argument about anything.

I came into our bedroom to see Katniss lying on the chaise with Hope in her arms. She was pinching the bridge of her nose, trying to release some tension. I wordlessly straddled the chaise behind her and laid back, pulling her body to rest on mine. I started to lightly massage the tension out of her shoulders before she spoke.

"What the hell do you think that was about?" Katniss asked me.

"I honestly have no idea. Then again, I really don't know much at all about Gale and Johanna's relationship. They kind of just started being together. I guess with everything going on it was never a priority of mine to get the details on that story."

"Mhmm…" Katniss said by way of agreement.

"How are you doing, though?" I asked her quietly. After the first day, Katniss didn't really do much crying. We just kind of waited around while Prim went in and out of various tests and therapy sessions. It was pretty clear how she was doing in the hospital – Katniss had been one step away from pulling all of her hair out.

"Much better now that we're home. I'm still terrified and feel guilty, but I'm trying not to hover. So here I am, with you, not hovering over her, and I'm actually trying to relax. It feels like it's working…," she replied. I leaned back and settled Kat in the center of my body, running my fingers through her long hair. Hope began to get fussy so I watched as Katniss fed her and then, when Hope was finished, I listened as Kat quietly sang her to sleep. Listening to Katniss sing to our baby had me relaxing as well. There was just something about her voice that always made me feel like everything was going to be okay.

After putting Hope to bed, Katniss and I showered off the scent of sanitizer left from the hospital and dressed in comfortable clothes that had us feeling more like ourselves. Prim's sickness definitely set us back, but now that she was getting the proper treatment we were going to try to stay positive about her future. We weren't really ready to join everyone yet, so we decided to cuddle up and watch the news. With everything going on in our personal lives we had neglected to follow the events going on in the country.

"_America has seen a rampant rise in petty crime activity due to the recent freedom of the Panem slaves in America. In the six weeks since the vote for freedom, random acts of theft and vandalism have been seen around the country, which experts are dubbing as initiation rituals for organized crime rings. We go now to Cora Albert for more information." _

The monitor flipped to a heavily trashed building with smoke billowing from it. Katniss' worried eyes caught mine for a moment before the news anchor began to speak.

"_Good evening, America. I am currently standing just east of one of the largest displacement camps containing freed Panem slaves in the country. Why am I here? I am here because of the rise in vandalism and petty crime this region has experienced over the past couple of months. Graffiti, theft, broken windows, burning buildings… The crime rate is the highest on record in American history since the final devastation. Experts believe that the rise in criminal activity is directly linked to the underground mob society. For years, many Americans believed the gang rings were localized to the lower economic factions of the country. However, as we see the gross increase in initiation rituals appear around the country, specifically in areas adjacent to the displacement camps, officials are beginning to worry that the American Mob scene may be expanding. The freed slaves still have yet to be awarded official citizenship papers, barring them from seeking out honest work. It seems that at least a portion of them are turning to a life of crime. Hopefully, with the opening of the Mellark Sanctuary in the next couple of weeks, we will see a drop in not only displaced persons but in the crime rate as well. In the meantime, we urge everyone in the area to keep a sharp eye and remember to set their security precautions upon leaving home. I'm Cora Albert, back to you in the studio!" _

The screen flashed back to the studio.

"_Thank you Cora. I bet our viewers are wondering if it was such a good idea to free those slaves after all! And now for our weather!" _

I shut off the monitor in disgust and looked over at Katniss. She had her thumb in her mouth and she was biting her fingernail. I could tell she was worried about the news report, as I was.

"Well… it seems we got a shout out from the media," Katniss said, trying to find a bright side when there wasn't one.

"Yeah, for opening our doors to take care of their dirty problem," I said as I ran my fingers through my hair. Katniss took my hand in midair and placed it in hers before I met her eyes.

"Are we crazy for agreeing to do this?" Katniss asked me.

"I just don't know. Forget for a minute about everything that's going on in our personal lives. Criminals, Katniss? Do we want to open up a correctional facility in addition to a free clinic? There are a lot of factors that we really didn't take into account. I'm worried that we're getting in over our heads. I think we're going to be overwhelmed. How many people can the dorms hold, Kat? Five hundred? Six hundred? None of them have left. What if a thousand of them show up right off the bat? What if they need mental help like Prim does? You heard what the doctor said to us about seeing an increase in suicides. What if they need the same kind of therapy Prim needs? We have no one to supply it."

I felt the weight of what we volunteered to do for the first time since we made the decision. I was being naïve and stupid to think just offering these people food and shelter while they learned how to be independent providers would be sufficient for them. We were just a small handful of people. We had other responsibilities, to our families and to ourselves, before we surrendered everything in the name of faceless people. I still wanted to help. I felt horrible for their predicament, but was I inviting trouble into our lives with my need to play the hero?

"I think we need to have a discussion with the others. We need to come up with a strategy for the refugees. We can't just open up the gates and call it a free-for-all. We are in enough danger as it is, with the media knowing the location of our property. I don't want a bunch of people who feel like they have no other options to turn us into victims just because we are attempting to help those who don't want to be helped," Katniss said, running her thumb over my fingertips.

"I agree with you. We definitely need to talk to everyone else. It's not just our decision," I said, leaning my head against hers.

She gave me a kiss on the side of my head before pulling me up from the couch. "Come on, let's go have some dinner and talk with the others. The sooner we do that, the sooner we might be able to actually find a peaceful night of sleep," Katniss said to me with optimism in her voice.

"I would agree with you, but with everything going on, I really don't think I'm that lucky."

She chuckled at my words and I didn't have it in me to tell her I wasn't joking.

**Thanks to my wonderful beta, katnissinme. Thanks to my readers, your follows, favorites, and reviews always bring a smile to my face! **


	7. Open the Gates

**Special thanks to my beta, Katnissinme, for her hard work on this chapter. Follows, favorites, and Reviews are always greatly appreciated and I will try to respond to as many as I can. ****Enjoy! **

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Katniss's pov

At dinner, Peeta and I reported to everyone what we heard on the news about the Panem refugees.

"Well... fuck...," Gale muttered.

"Elegantly put Gale, thank you," I quipped.

"So what's the plan?" Finnick asked, looking up at Peeta and I.

"We don't have one yet...," Peeta replied.

"How do you not have a plan? You _always_ have a plan, even if it's a last-minute, half-assed one. So come on, spill it," Damien insisted.

Peeta laughed despite himself. "Really, I don't have one!" He looked at everyone seriously before continuing. "I'm torn. I want to help the refugees, but we're putting ourselves at a lot of risk if we go through with this," he explained.

There was an awkward silence as the weight of Peeta's words sunk in with everyone.

"Let's go about this from a different approach then," Annie said. "What if we weren't in danger? What steps would we take knowing what we know now?"

"Well, we'd need to ask for volunteer staff I think - therapists, doctors, counselors, teachers, people who are looking to help and can guide the new refugees smoothly through whatever problems they may have faced or face currently. Try to build more facilities for the additional refugees. Set up places people can go to speak in private?" Peeta suggested.

"Okay, and if others were taking in refugees and they weren't a problem, and we were in danger still, what would you do?"

I answered that one. "Well, that's easy. We would close the program, or at the very least downsize the number of refugees considerably. We would make sure the decoy entrance is sound and workable. Not let anyone volunteer in the village who is at high risk...," I looked around the table and noticed a few people nodding.

"Alright, so where is the middle ground everyone can be happy with?" Annie said again.

I was about to answer when Johanna interrupted.

"Not to put a little damper on the party, but don't we want to stick to one problem at a time here? What are you guys planning on doing with Prim? You know, the original issue we were supposed to discuss at dinner?" Johanna said abruptly, pausing our conversation as she threw down her fork.

This made me mad. How dare she make it seem like I just moved on from Prim's attempted suicide without coming up with a course of action to get her healthy. Just because Peeta and I hadn't yet shared the particulars with everyone does not mean that we had neglected to arrange for her future. I snapped.

"Hey! There are group decisions and then there are family decisions. We are currently discussing a group decision that puts all of our safety into jeopardy. As a courtesy, because we know you guys care about Prim, we were planning on sharing the decisions Peeta and I have already made about what she's going to need and how to care for her. How dare you insinuate that we've just moved on to another problem!" I shouted.

No one spoke and I turned to see that Prim had just entered the kitchen. She was standing tensely with wide eyes and raised eyebrows. I closed my eyes and blushed at what that sentence must have sounded like if she hadn't heard the entire discussion. It sounded like I had just referred to Prim as one of my problems. Prim ignored my outburst and turned toward Annie.

"I think it's pretty straightforward what the middle ground is. Take in refugees by the group. Admit one hundred people a week until you reach your limit. Train the refugees as they come in, starting with an orientation about what to expect on the first day. Group one should be only healthy people who can help run the community once group two arrives. Some make food, some work in the clinic, some clean, garden, etc. No one is to know where the main house is, and they can only come to the decoy house if there is an emergency. We should set up security at the entrance to the community. No weapons should be allowed. Everyone should get an ID card, just because they're not citizens yet doesn't make them no one. We should know who they are and they should know that this is where they belong," Prim explained, completely ignoring my earlier outburst and me.

Everyone at the table just looked at her, dumbstruck by what she had just offered. It was perfect – simple, clear, organized. It was as if the old Prim were coming back just in time and had all the answers we were seeking.

"Oh, and find a good crackpot doctor whose willing to take your PROBLEMS and make sure to medicate them so they don't do something CRAZY!" Prim said looking straight at me before turning around and going to her room.

Lovely. Just lovely.

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Peeta's Pov

I heard Kat getting an earful from Prim and debated whether or not to go in there or just let the two of them fight this out. On the positive side of things, I really thought the medicine was helping Prim. A week ago she wouldn't have gotten out of bed let alone spoken a full sentence to anyone. Although this Everdeen vs. Everdeen spat wasn't really what I was hoping for when we got home, it was still a major improvement in my mind.

Hope was fussy in my arms. The muffled yelling was clearly irritating her, as they were interrupting her beauty sleep, after all. I had been standing in the hall with her for about ten minutes ever since she woke up. I was getting to the point where I was considering just going back to the room to wait for Katniss. Just as I was about to walk back to our room Prim's door opened, Katniss walked out and then slammed the door again behind her. She did not look happy.

"Just…don't. Don't say anything, Mr. Perfect. I'm serious, not a word!" Katniss said, turning on me.

I held Hope up in front of me like a shield, pretending that the baby could save me from a verbal attack by her mother. Katniss took a deep breath and stormed off toward our bedroom. Being the smart husband that I like to think I am, I followed her, making sure to keep a safe distance. When I got into the room I could hear Katniss washing her face in the bathroom. Sensing that this was probably an early night for bed, I pulled down the blankets and put on some sleep pants. When Kat finally came out I had gotten Hope to fall asleep and I was lying in bed. She took a deep breath before walking over to me and straddling my lap.

"Am I a horrible person?" Katniss mumbled with her head on my shoulder.

I couldn't help but smile to myself. "The worst," I told her jokingly.

"No, I'm serious Peeta. I called Prim my problem. My suicidal sister heard me call her my problem."

"First of all, she is no longer suicidal. If she is going to have any chance at moving past this then you can't think that she's always going to be like this. The doctor told us that she is just as ashamed and guilty as we are, if not more. We have to let her get better, and a big part of that will be trusting that she is getting better on the medicine. Second, that was not your fault. That was a product of what happens when exhaustion and bad timing mix with a provoking comment. You snapped and that was okay. Johanna was definitely out of line and I told her that after you ran after Prim. If it makes you feel better, I know Johanna feels bad about it. She referred to Prim as one of your problems first, trying to get a rise out of you. I don't really know what the reason was behind it, but it was not acceptable. Especially after everything you have had to go through with Prim since this all happened. Lastly, for lack of a better word, Prim _is_ your problem. She is your problem because you love her and care about her. She is my problem as well. Just like you are my problem and Hope is my problem and Damien is my problem. Being your problem isn't necessarily a bad thing, it just means you care. Alright?"

Katniss just nodded her head against my shoulder and I gave her a kiss on her head.

"You've been my problem for almost a year now. Did you know that? Do you know how many messes I have gotten into because you're my problem?" I turned her head so she would look me in the eye. "I stopped counting after the first month and you know what? I wouldn't change a single one of them if I could because now we're here and together." I kissed her and settled her next to me so I was spooning her.

"Now, let's go to bed and you can bring Prim a peace offering in the morning. We can use Hope's diapered bottom as a white flag, we'll just hold her in front of us and wave her around." That got a little chuckle out of Katniss. I bent over, shut off the light, and snuggled back into the mattress, falling asleep the moment my head hit the pillow.

The door to our room opened quietly a while later. I opened my eyes and watched Prim walk into the room and climb into bed with Katniss. I heard Katniss groggily ask Prim what was wrong but Prim just hugged Katniss and began to cry. I watched as Katniss comforted her, rubbing her hand up and down Prim's back and making calming noises.

"I'm… sorry..." Prim cried softly. "I never wanted to be your problem."

"Shh, sweetie, you're not my problem. I love you, and because I love you I'm protective of you. I'm sorry you had to hear that – it was all a misunderstanding," Katniss whispered back to a crying Prim.

"Yes, I am. I know I am. I'm sorry," she continued to cry.

I listened to Katniss soothe Prim until Prim's cries died away with the arrival of sleep. At some point I must have fallen asleep as well, because when I woke up both Prim and Katniss were gone.

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Prim's pov

Numb. That's how I have felt for the past two weeks on the medicinal patch the doctors attached to the back of my neck. The dosages were prefilled, so as long as I changed the patch monthly I would never have to worry about missing a dose. The patch was supposed to make me forget that there was something wrong with me. As if by not swallowing the pills I wouldn't realize the drugs were affecting my mood, behavior and way of thinking. Until, of course, there was a delay in administering my next dose, which was known to happen on occasion. When that happened, I had the most dramatic mood swings. I screamed and cried, unable to control my reactions. I usually ended up breaking something, but nine times out of ten I just ended up further breaking myself. If possible, I would say I hated the drugs more then I hated the actual depression. When I was depressed I had at least felt pain and sadness, I had known I was alive. I had only known I was alive on the drugs because my therapist reminded me that I was on a daily basis and that I should really start acting like it. Easier said than done, Stupid American shrink.

I smiled slightly to myself as I waited for the first group of freed slaves to come onto the property. I stood near my family and their friends and I felt almost normal again. There was nothing to identify me as the "problem" member of the clan. I was back to "normal," regardless of the bursts of pain and overwhelming sadness that may have caught me off guard since I ripped off that drug patch.

No one in the house knew I had stopped taking my medication, nor did I expect them to realize it. Katniss would definitely go insane if she knew I had stopped taking the drugs. Our strained relationship was slowly starting to awkwardly heal since I had one of my mood swings a couple weeks ago. She thought my crying to her was a sign of my body healing with the help of the medicine. I never had the heart to tell her that I wasn't healing; the tears were just a side effect of the hormone imbalance common due to drug doses.

The drugs couldn't bring back the old Prim, even if the side effects hadn't numbed my emotions. I just couldn't bring myself to tell Katniss that the old Prim was dead. She died at the train station in the American capitol from a shattered heart. I had no idea who the new Prim was yet. Until she showed up, I would just pretend everything was okay, then maybe one day it would be true. I realized that I was just a shell of what I once was, the shadow of a once happy, innocent girl. That girl would never curse, would never be inexplicably angry, and definitely would never disobey the rules, but like I said, that girl had gone.

"Prim? Prim? Did you hear what I said?" Rue said, as she walked up to me.

"Hmm, what?" I asked, coming out of my thoughts.

"I asked you if you were excited about the Panem refugees coming. They should all be around our age so it'll be nice to have more people to talk to, don't you think?" She tried to make conversation.

God bless Rue, she was the girl that bad things happened to and yet she still managed to see the bright side of the situation. She had been through murdered parents, starvation, physical and emotional abuse, and tons of other crap she didn't feel the need to talk about. She should have been as fucked up as I was. So the fact that she wasn't made me insane with envy. I wanted to hate her, but she was a genuinely good person, so I just couldn't help myself, I liked her all the more for it.

"Prim? Are you feeling okay? You didn't answer my question," Rue said gently, as she put her hand on my shoulder.

Dammit. I needed to do a better job of not being so damn spacy or they were going to realize something was up.

"Oh, sorry! Yea, I'm excited. It'll be nice to help out around here. Work hard and all that." That sounded like one of those optimistic comments my therapist had suggested I make. I wracked my brain trying to think about how the old Prim would have responded.

"I'm looking forward to giving back to those who are less fortunate than myself," I said. Rue's warm smile seemed to be all the confirmation I needed to know that she had believed my hollow comment. I wasn't looking forward to giving back as much as I looked forward to working so hard I would fall into a dreamless oblivion every night from exhaustion.

"We've got pedestrians!" Finnick's voice called through our micro-talks. The little black bracelets allowed us to talk to the entire group by just pushing the button on the watch. Peeta insisted each of us carry one if we would be working in the community as a way of keeping our locations known. Just another one of my brother in law's many borderline overprotective safety precautions.

"Pedestrians? I thought the first group was coming in by travel van?" I asked.

"They are. I wonder who the pedestrians could be? Would someone really choose to walk here?" Rue replied.

Before we had a chance to ask, Finnick continued to talk through the bracelets. "I have twenty people about to walk through the gate. I'm looking at eight girls and twelve boys wearing federal-issued refugee apparel. I will stop them at the gate and question them about how they got here. Just giving everyone an advanced warning."

"Well, if they are coming to live in the community I'm sure I could find one or two of those twelve to rest my eyes on," Rue giggled to me.

I gave her a small smile. I wasn't giggly anymore but I knew I had to try for her sake. At the very least I couldn't show her that even the idea of looking at another guy made my chest sting for Rory.

"Can I help you, friends?" Finnick's voice rang through the intercom. Another clear voice answered him in return.

"We heard talk of a community being opened for Panem refugees. The waiting list for transportation was a few months so we decided to walk. Is there still room for us?"

"Sure, just so long as you're willing to help out with everyone else as they come in, too!" Finnick said. "What are your names?"

I could hear different names being shouted out toward Finnick, but considering the fact that they were still some distance from his microtalk I couldn't make out the specifics.

"Can you hear what their names are?" Rue said to me, as she pressed her ear to the micro-talk bracelet.

I shook my head no.

"Alright, I'm going to send you down the road to community check-in. Some other Panem refugees will check you guys in and get a little more information from you. We're pretty high security here, as you can imagine, but assuming your stories check out, you're all welcome here."

"Well? What are you waiting for? Let's go!" Rue said as she pulled my hand towards the check-in. I could have lied and said I wasn't curious about seeing the new arrivals, but that would have just been a waste of time.

We all had our own designated jobs for when the refugees arrived. Peeta was waiting over at the town hall. Annie and Katniss were in the medical clinic. Finnick acted as security and overseer at the main gate. Gale and Rue were doing interviews at check-in. If they passed check-in, Damien and I would make identification cards for everyone and give them a quick tour of the "community" before bringing them to the town hall. That's where Peeta would give a welcome orientation. Johanna would set the girls up with their jobs and living supplies, with Thresh doing the same for the boys. Annie would give physicals. Katniss would stay with little Finn and baby Hope in the house because everyone agreed it was best to keep them away from the community for now. If there were no problems today or tomorrow the incoming refugees would be trained to act as new staff to help with the next round of people who came to the community. Now it sounded like we would have even more new workers to help with those coming in from the refugee camp than we had previously thought.

I hung back with Damien near the ID card machine, I stood out of the direct line of sight from the visitors, as the group approached Gale and Rue. I watched Gale interview the first refugee as his table was closest to where I stood. Gale being Gale turned toward the first guy, looked him straight in the eye and said aggressively, "What the hell are you doing here when you could be training to fight with the Panem rebellion in Jefferson County?"

The boy Gale addressed had jet black hair that was cut unevenly short on his head. He was broad and muscular, although it was clear that he needed to gain some weight. His knuckles were marked with red welts that stood out against his tanned skin. I couldn't tell what color his eyes were but he had high cheekbones and a set of full lips. The boy met Gale's eyes straight on and said, "From what I understand, I could ask you the same thing." That comment made me smile. My smile got wider as I noticed Gale's jaw tense. I could see how close to home it hit for Gale.

"To answer your question further, I have no one left in Panem so I won't be abandoning anyone on that front. I just want to forget the place ever existed. Too many bad memories."

"If that's true, then why did you join the work labor program in the first place? If you had no one who would benefit from it, why would you go?" Gale questioned him further.

"You did live in Panem, right? If someone was giving you a one-way ticket out of your life and you didn't have any family holding you down, are you honestly telling me you wouldn't have signed up?"

Gale ignored his question and asked another one. "What district were you from originally?"

"District 10."

"Cattle boy?"

"One in the same. Rumor has it that you can earn a few head by working this place."

"You'd be right. Name?"

"Zeyer Pannone"

"Last question. Why the hell would you walk here?"

"I like walking."

"There's something about you, Zeyer Pannone from district 10, I just can't figure it out yet. Go ahead and get your identification card, but just know I'm keeping my eye on you."

The boy didn't respond; instead he walked right past Gale toward the ID table. When his eyes met mine I drew in a quick breath of surprise. His eyes were a purple-grey that I had never seen before, but I somehow remembered. I shook away the thought because of how stupid it sounded, even in my own head.

He gave me a small smile before he said, "Good morning, Primrose."

My eyes went huge.

How did this guy know my name?

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**Hope you enjoyed, please remember to review! **


	8. Casting Shadows of Change

_**Thank you to all my readers for patiently waiting for answers, the next few chapters will answer many of them. Big thanks to **_**Katnissinme, **_**my wonderful beta, for the hard work and honest feedback. You are helping me become a better writer and I can't thank you enough for that. **_

Peeta's Pov

So the madness began.

I was still uncomfortable with the idea of having so many virtual strangers living so close to our home, but it was definitely too late to change that now.

I had just finished my fifth orientation and they had all gone pretty well. The first group of people who came to the community was made up of skilled workers so we were able to put them to work instantly chopping wood, tending the animals and working in the clinic. I was thankful that they came on their own before the crowds because they had been working tirelessly with us to get everyone settled in.

The community had only been open four days and already we were almost at capacity in the living quarters. The clinic was completely full. From what Katniss told me, the situation in the infirmary was worse than she could have imagined. One patient, she told me, had open lacerations on his back that became infected and healed with the infection inside. The slashes looked like they were given with a metal belt, she said, most likely from an abusive owner.

I got the feeling that the abuse of the Panem slaves was even more widespread than I had imagined, and that the American Red Cross service efforts that worked at the Displaced Persons camps had not done nearly enough to help the victims. Many people walked around here broken, holding their heads low and keeping their eyes on the ground. I wondered if they just looked at this as another camp, or if they realized that this place was intended to give them a new start. I would have asked, but most seemed wary of speaking with me.

"Hey, you. I was looking for you!" I heard my favorite voice call from behind me. I turned around to see Katniss racing towards me. I smiled at her, watching the wind pull her hair away from her face as she ran and hugged her to me when she jumped into my arms. We hadn't been getting to spend much time together recently and it felt good to hold her. I ran my hands up her back and gave her a quick kiss before I put her down. I took her hand in mine before I began to walk toward the house and brushed my thumb over her wrist as we moved.

"How was your day?" she asked me as we ducked through the trees toward the path that would lead us home.

"It was busy. I spoke to close to a hundred and fifty people today." I saw her eyebrows rise at the high number.

"And what did you think of them?"

"I think they need help. They could all stand to gain some weight. Maybe once they get settled things will pick up. How's everything in the clinic?" I asked her.

"Similar cases. Luckily, there hasn't been anyone who has needed hospitalization yet, but I did get in a few people with … suspicious injuries," she said, giving me a meaningful look.

"You mean..?" I hoped not more attempted suicides.

She nodded. "Long, deep cuts on the wrists, one or two with bruising around the neck. I can only imagine what these people have been through and I feel helpless. It hurts me to think that they preferred death at one point. They have no one to talk to about what they have been through. It doesn't look like the other refugees want to talk about their experiences either. I don't know what to do. I just keep telling myself that it will get better. It's hard to believe that I could have just have easily been in their place."

"Don't talk like that, please. I can't bare even thinking anything like that could ever have happened to you." I said close to her ear before I pulled her to me and kissed her passionately under the shadows of the tree branches.

"Did you want to come to the town hall meeting tonight or did you want to stay home with Hope?" I asked her.

Everyone in the house had been taking turns staying back with Hope and little Finn, looking over the security cameras while everyone else went and helped in the community. We all agreed that it was best to keep Hope away from the community. Things were dangerous enough as it was for Katniss and me; no one would even think to put Hope into greater risk then she needed to be.

As much as I wanted to stay home and get some private time with Katniss, that night Finnick would be running the first town hall meeting where the new community members could hear the progress and changes that would be made in the community. We had all decided Finnick would be the best choice for the job as he had been a well-known figure back in Panem. Finnick had really taken over the management of the community, and would easily be able to answer questions. I wanted to witness the first town hall meeting and see who the leaders amongst this new group were, but if Katniss wanted to stay back together I wouldn't put up a fight.

"As much as I would _kill _for a night to ourselves, I would really like to go to the first town hall meeting. I think Gale said he was going to stay back anyway and watch little Finn. I'm sure he wouldn't mind checking in on Hope every now and then."

"Well then, Mrs. Mellark, I believe we have a date."

Katniss's pov

The hall was filled with people. Every seat was taken and every window was blocked with bodies. Peeta and I moved unnoticed toward a back corner of the room, keeping our hands connected so we wouldn't lose each other in the crowd.

"What a crowd!" I shouted at him from a close range. It was so loud that you had to shout so the person next to you could hear your words. Peeta just nodded at me and pulled me against him when he found an empty spot against the back wall to lean against.

Finnick let out a loud whistle to gain the attention of everyone in the room, and slowly the rows of young adults went quiet. "Thank you, that's more like it," he commented after the room quieted down.

"As many of you know, I'm Finnick O'dair. In a previous life I was, for lack of a better word, involuntarily a public figure in a barbaric society that considered itself to be sophisticated and humane. I am no longer that person. If I were to guess, I would say most of you don't feel like the people you were when you lived in Panem, either. I have never known what it is like to be a slave, but I do know what it's like to suffer abuse, to not know what tomorrow may bring, and to stop fearing for your own life because you are too busy protecting the lives of those you love."

"I'm sure many of you are wondering what life here will be like for you. I can't tell you exactly what your experience here will be, but I can assure you it will be nothing like the lives you were forced to live before now. Here you are free. Here you can live and start a new life." He paused to stress the importance of the words he had spoken before he continued.

"Most of you have not been here for more than a couple of days but have already met the backbone of this operation, Peeta and Katniss Mellark. You all heard Katniss and Peeta's names before you came here, and have all listened to Peeta welcome you to the property and tell you about its features. Some of you may even have been lucky enough to have had Katniss give you your physical." He winked at me and I let out a little scowl. Peeta chuckled lightly beside me and gave my side a little squeeze.

"What most of you do not know, however, is that Katniss and Peeta voluntarily gave up the location of their hiding place in order to give all of you a chance at a new life. They spent their time, energy and resources on building this community for all of you. They have compromised their security in order to give all of you a place to go, a place you can call your own. I owe them my thanks, because everything they have done here for you they first did for me and my family. These are good people who have taken a chance on all of us when no one else would let us in."

He caught our eyes at the back of the room, telling us wordlessly that he meant every word he spoke. I had no idea he would be speaking about us and it was very humbling to here all the nice things he said about us. I didn't deserve the credit, the true power behind this was Peeta. I looked up at my husband and caught his eye. He kissed the top of my head in a quick sign of affection before he turned his attention back to Finnick.

"In return for their generosity they have asked something of all of you. They have asked for harmony and peace. They call this land home, and hope you will treat it as your home as well. Like in any American city, any major crimes will result in being turned over to the federal authorities. Acts of vandalism, theft, and other minor crimes will result in expulsion from the community. Gang affiliation of any kind will not be tolerated. If you are a member of a gang or are in the process of being inducted into a gang we strongly ask you to reconsider your allegiance. If we are not able to sway your decision, you may go in peace and we will be saddened to see you go. On these matters we have a strict no tolerance policy." Finnick cast his eyes over the crowd, stressing his point as he continued.

"We are aware that many of you may wish to join with the Panem Rebellion. While we understand your desires, we request that all rebel activity be conducted in Washington County. One of the Rebel organizers in America, Haymitch Abernathy, can be contacted easily once in Washington County. Should you decide to join with them you may still call this land your safe haven, however we are by no means a sponsor of the rebellion."

Just hearing Finnick mention the rebellion had my breathing coming harder and my chest constricting. Since Rory's death, whenever I thought of the rebellion, I just thought of how pointless death was for those too young to die. I also thought about the stabbing guilt of my untreated mother institutionalized in Panem. Had she been here in America, they could have treated her and brought her back to the woman I once knew. It was too late now, but at least I could comfort myself knowing she was safe.

"Our last request is one you may find odd. Katniss and Peeta Mellark are a couple who were unhappily thrust into the public eye as a repercussion of simply trying to do the right thing. They have been through many trials and tribulations in getting to this point, and on their behalf I am requesting privacy. Once Peeta and Katniss leave the community, please do not follow them home or request an invitation to their home. This is a security issue in addition to one of privacy. Also, please do not speak to the media about Katniss, Peeta or the community. If you are approached, we ask that you give broad, general comments or simply reply no comment. Now I will open the floor to questions."

"Yes, you sir in the front?"

"What do you mean no guns and no gangs? They're all over your fucking camp!"

That one line was all it took for shouts to start ringing out from around the room.

Prim's Pov

I listened to Finnick's speech from the shadows of the town hall porch. It was good. He was almost as charismatic as Peeta was, although he still lacked the gravitational pull of attention that Peeta elicited from crowds when he spoke. I ran my fingers along the edge of the porch rail as I thought about the past four days. Four days and over four hundred identity cards made. I only remembered a few of their names. Alright, I only remembered one, the one that left me dizzy with questions.

"_Good morning, Primrose," _Zeyer said as he met my eyes.

"_How do you know my name?" _I asked, shocked and a little nervous.

A look of disappointment crossed over his face briefly before he responded_, "I saw you on the news the day of the train station press conference." _

Oh right, the train station press conference, or better seared into my memory as the first day I had to wake up knowing I would never see Rory again. The day I killed his baby because I wasn't strong enough to save it. I visibly winced, and he thankfully dropped any further mention of that day.

"_So, have you lived in the community long?" _he asked me as I began to take down the information for his identity card.

"_I don't live in the community_," I replied back dismissively. My hands were shaking a little as I tapped in the information. I wish he wouldn't ask me questions because any I answered would only raise more.

"_Alright," _he said on a half smile. That's when I noticed he had a dimple in his right cheek. The fact that someone so tough and masculine-looking would have a childish dimple was an unexpected feature. Even more unexpected was that I had noticed it in the first place. That thought disconcerted me.

"_Here you go_," I said, practically shoving the identity card toward him like a weapon.

"_Thank you, Primrose," _he said, looking into my eyes again. His fingers brushed mine as he took the card from my hand and I saw the unmistakable edge of a tattoo sleeve under his shirt.

"_Hopefully I'll see you around some time." _

I hadn't responded.

A hand on my shoulder jolted me out of my memory. I turned around thinking it was Rue or Thresh coming to check on me, only to be confronted by uneven black hair, twinkling purple-grey eyes, and a right arm full of tattoos now mostly exposed by his short sleeve shirt. Zeyer, the boy I had been thinking about stood close and looked down at me. Although I suppose boy isn't the right word. His facial features held the innocence of a boy, but his eyes shown with the hardness of someone who hadn't been a boy for a very long time.

It was in the set of his face and his eyes; they were so different from Rory's boyish good looks. I shook my head trying to dislodge that spontaneous thought from my mind. How dare my subconscious even attempt to compare the two of them, even if it was on a purely physical level.

"Good evening, Primrose," he said.

Zeyer stood quietly, awaiting my reply. One of his eyebrows was raised ever so slightly as he waited. "Um… sorry… I was lost in my thoughts, I guess. Please, remind me of your name again?" His face broke out into a smirk as his black eyebrow rose even higher.

Did he know that I knew his name? Did he see my tactic for what it was? Which was just a way of keeping the situation impersonal, so I could keep my distance from him intact.

"It's Zeyer," he said with a low, smooth voice, like a strong wind brushing through the tall grass. "Why are you out here when you could be listening inside where it's warmer?" he asked. He had on a worn, white tee shirt and denim pants. A faded brown leather jacket was thrown casually over his left arm. It was pretty dark on the porch with only a small gas lamp by the door illuminating the area; I wished I was able to see the tattoos better in the darkness but my eyes just registered the markings as unidentifiable dark contrasts against his skin.

"I didn't realize it was cold," I replied, evading his question. I didn't want anyone to know that I had a fear of crowds ever since the train station day.

He nodded as if I had spoken my thoughts out loud and he understood my fear of crowds. I hated the feeling that this guy understood me and felt a slight shiver go through me as I tried to shake the uneasiness his presence created.

"I knew you were cold." He said mistaking my shiver as a sign of the chill in the air. He took his jacket off his arm and swung it over my shoulders. "Just wear it." He said as he saw me about to protest. I would have taken it off but it was warm and I liked the smell of him on it.

"I'm sorry for scaring you the other day, calling you by your name and all," he said conversationally still standing close.

"Oh, you didn't scare me," I replied a little too quickly.

He let out a low chuckle and said, "Oh yea? Then why have you run in the other direction whenever you see anyone who looks remotely like me since then?"

My eyes went wide. Oh my god, had he really noticed that? I wanted to lie and say that I haven't avoided him. I wanted to ask him why he was so self-absorbed to think that I thought about him and would go out of my way to steer clear of someone I didn't think about, but he would see through it.

Instead I shrugged and laughed softly. I guess I was caught. He laughed a little, too.

"Well, you gave off the creeper vibe. I couldn't help myself," I responded defensively. He smiled, amused at me, and I watched him scrape his cut and bruised fingers through his uneven hair.

"Well, you gave off the back off vibe, so I rose to the challenge."

"What challenge?"

"To make you smile, obviously. Your face wasn't made to look angry and pinched the way you had it when we met. I knew I'd prefer it when you smiled."

He hadn't given me a compliment per-se, but I found that I smiled a little anyway before averting my eyes. The noise level from inside the town hall rose in what sounded like an argument, but I couldn't really make out the words before Zeyer spoke again.

"Listen, I have to get going, I have an early day tomorrow. I just wanted to say hello again. I hope to see you around sometime, Primrose."

I watched him walk down the steps towards the men's dormitory. "Oh, and Primrose?" he said, turning around and looking up at me. The tips of his hair shone silver in the moonlight as he smiled at me.

"Yea?" I said amused.

"You have a killer smile," he said, turning around quickly.

I had tensed at the compliment but he was gone too quickly for me to rebuff it. I smiled in the darkness, thinking about how good it felt to smile before a voice had me turning around quickly again. I saw Johanna leaning against the far railing in the shadows. I hoped she hadn't seen Zeyer or heard our conversation. I didn't want anyone to look too closely into whatever THAT was, because it was definitely nothing.

"Well, well, well. My eyes must be deceiving me was that _the _Primrose Mellark actually _flirting_ with a man not named Rory Hawthorne? It's a good thing Gale isn't here – he would have ripped your new friend to shreds."

"Shut up, Johanna, you know that was nothing. I just met him," I replied a little too protectively. The truth is her words shot straight to my heart and I felt guilt take over me. I hadn't been thinking about Rory nearly as much these past few days, and her words made that realization all the more clear.

"I know you just met him, but I also know that THAT" She tilted her head in the direction Zeyer had gone, "was definitely not _nothing._"

I felt shame run through me because she was right it wasn't nothing it was _something_. I didn't know what the something was but it had no right to continue. I was Rory's regardless of whether or not he was here with me.

"I'm surprised you noticed someone new, it's so…normal… of you.. I'm actually happy to see that you didn't have a relapse of depression after the stunt you pulled, kind of a miracle if you ask me. Do we have the flirtation with that boy to thank for that?" Johanna replied back.

"I'm not flirting with him and I haven't gone back into depression because of the medication." I responded back indignantly.

She gave me an incredulous look before she said, "Oh please, you tore off the patch." It was a statement not a question. I stiffened involuntarily and cursed myself for reacting to her words. How the hell did she know that?

"I don't know what you're talking about Johanna."

"Oh, cut the crap, Everdeen. You can fool every one else in the house, but don't insult my intelligence. Just admit it. You took yourself off the drugs."

I decided it wasn't worth it to fight with her. All she'd have to do was check the back of my neck to prove I was lying. "How did you know?"

"It's written all over your face, you're smiling for god's sake. You're expressing emotion- you're out of the numb – I can see it in your eyes, saw it a few days ago, actually. I'm impressed, you lasted a full week longer on it than I did," she said.

Wait, what? Johanna was on the anti-depressant patch? Why?

"Wait, you..?"

"Only Gale and Annie know. It was right after they shipped me back to America, I thought they were going to sell me back to... never mind. The point is yes, I chose your route, and they found me and slapped a patch against my neck and sent me on my merry way." Johanna attempted suicide? But she's so strong, I couldn't imagine her ever having given into the pain.

"Why would you?.."

"Try to kill myself?" she finished for me.

"See, this is why I wanted Gale to talk to you, he knows you, knows what you can handle." When I didn't comment she continued. "Here's the short of it. You, your sister, her cute blonde husband, and beautiful little baby, you guys don't know half of the shit that has been going on in this country. You think the government was bad? They were just puppets to the real players. Do you know why all the slaves were really released? Simple. The people who actually run this country wanted them to be. Underground factions, gangs, mobsters, whatever you want to call them, they are the ones who actually run this country."

I looked at her with wide eyes, still not really understanding. The closest things we had to gangs in Panem were the thieving street thugs, and I guess the rebellion, although I never thought of them as a gang.

"But what does that have to do with you?" I asked her.

"Who do you think bought me? Before they realized they could free the slaves and turn them into unpaid cronies one of the gangs bought me to serve them and their _associates._ They had.. _eclectic_ tastes, shall we say… Anyways, after a few weeks of being chained standing to a wall I had finally managed to run. I went home and it was the worst decision I ever made."

"What happened, Jo?" I asked her quietly. She looked uncomfortable and close to tears. I had never seen Johanna cry and I wondered if she would let herself in front of me.

"They killed everyone, my whole family, right in front of my eyes. They were going to ship me back to the men that had bought me, but then the rebellion kidnapped me and stuck me on a train. They didn't tell me what was going on, they just threw me into the cold stock car. I thought when I got to the train station the men were going to pick me up. If my family wasn't safe anymore I didn't feel the need to suffer like that again, so I pried off a piece of metal from the side of the train car.."

She took a shuddering breath inwards, clearly reliving the ugly memory. I hurt for her.

"I was almost dead when Gale found me on the floor of the train car. He was supposed to bring me to Annie and Finnick's for safekeeping, but rushed me to the hospital instead. They slapped the patch on me and I went numb for a full week before Gale kissed me and... I had wanted to feel it." She shrugged as if she had no words left to tell.

Before I could say anything else, there was the sound of a bottle shattering against the wall. I flinched and Johanna quickly pulled me further into the dark of the porch. The town hall doors slammed open and three guys strode out of the doors. They didn't see Johanna and I standing in the shadows and walked past us obliviously.

"What a crock of shit. Like I'm just going to throw out my guns. Wait until the falcon hears about this one. What's worse, there are fucking unions here. I knew we should have gone to Jefferson to recruit, now we definitely have to fucking stay."

We listened silently as the three walked toward the woods, in the opposite direction of the men's dorms. Behind us the town hall was ringing in pandemonium from the constant shouting of questions. What was going on? And what were those guys talking about? What the hell was that, some kind of code? Who was the falcon? What were unions? What were these guys recruiting for? It was Johanna who spoke first in a low whisper.

"We need to get back to the house, Prim. Right now."

"But shouldn't we wait for Peeta and Katniss at least?" I questioned her. I didn't understand a thing those guys said, but whatever it meant it definitely scared Johanna.

"Do what you want. I'm getting out of here," Johanna said, swinging herself under the railing and jumping off the porch. Before I could tell her to wait she had already disappeared into the darkness.

Without really thinking about what I was doing, I ran after her, straight into the darkness.

_**Please remember to follow and see what happens next, you won't regret it! **_

_**For those of you who are tumblr users my username is **_** .com**_**. I post all different kinds of things, including favorite Everlark stories; great published books I have recently read, and check out pictures of the inspiration behind Katniss and Peeta's safe house and a picture of Zeyer!**_

_**Reviews are always appreciated and welcomed! **_


	9. Waves of Sand

Prim's Pov

"God, this was a dumb idea," I muttered to myself as I slapped another bug away from my ear. I had been walking in the dark for the past couple of hours I think. I ran in after Johanna, thinking like an idiot that she shouldn't go into the forest alone, and I ignorantly didn't think about what would happen if I didn't catch up to her in the first, oh I don't know, five minutes or so. The house was hidden as it is. I wouldn't be able to find it in the dark, but I only realized this after the first fifteen minutes or so, and by that point the lights of the town hall were nothing but a memory. I tried walking back toward it but I was never good with directions.

I decided that I wasn't going to get anywhere if I kept walking in the dark, and since it was starting to get cold I figured I should just wait until morning to find my way back. I found a dry patch of grass near the trunk of a rather large tree and curled further into the leather jacket Zeyer had lent me. I realized about an hour ago that I had forgotten to give it back to him, and was grateful now that he hadn't remembered he had lent it to me, either. I needed the warmth.

I was almost asleep when I saw something bright shine against the branches. I squinted my eyes to get a better look at who it was, but I couldn't make out the figures in the darkness. I got up to follow them a little, hoping to get a better idea as to who they might be and if they could help me back to camp. I was about to call out to them when I felt a large hand go against my mouth to stifle my shout.

Katniss's Pov

The wind was cool against my cheeks as I looked out on the balcony at the black waves breaking upon the silver sand. The town hall meeting had ended with an interesting twist and I didn't know where this new path we were walking would lead us. I prayed it wasn't disaster.

Warm arms wrapped around my waist and I turned slightly to see Peeta kiss the exposed portion of my shoulder. We stood together quietly on the balcony and I relaxed into the heat of his chest.

"It's amazing how small the ocean makes me feel. As if it gently mocks me as we try to do good. It's saying, 'You think you can make a change in the world? Little you? You can't change anything.' I always thought maybe it was my imagination, the gentle mocking, but now I'm not so sure. I think the ocean is right, I'm small, and my biggest mistake was getting wrapped up in thinking we could do something big."

"I don't think it's your imagination, but I also don't believe that we aren't capable of creating change. It just means we need help. I know you're going to think I'm crazy for saying this, but I think tonight was progress," Peeta answered.

"Progress? Are you insane? Someone threw a glass bottle at Finnick's head and close to thirty people stormed out the doors before the meeting had even come to a close!" I argued.

"Yes, that's true, but now everyone knows where the others stand," he said cryptically.

"What do you mean?"

"The gang leaders know how we feel about them, we know how they feel about us, and as for their would-be followers, well, we've finally given them a legitimate choice. They can live here peacefully without having to pledge their allegiance to a life of violence, or they can join an underground movement that will constantly question their loyalties and their willingness to upset the balance of society. So yes, progress, because before tonight these people only had one option, and that was to live a life in limbo. Only time will tell what happens."

I thought about what choice I would make if I were in the position of the others at the town hall tonight. I knew I would stay and try to move on with my life. The decision was so clear to me that I had a hard time fathoming the appeal gang life could hold.

"You know," Peeta said interrupting my thoughts, "I still have not taken you down to walk on the beach yet. I would say that a midnight walk is more then overdue."

I chuckled softly as he led me out of our room and down the hall toward the winding staircase that would take us to the beach. The symphony of night birds and invisible amphibians rang clear through the night, only to be interrupted by the pattering of our footsteps down the carved stone stairs. When we reached the bottom, Peeta instructed me to put my hands on his shoulders. When I obliged, he bent down and began to slip off my shoes.

"Now no more talk about the town hall. This is our time together and I want to see the look on your face when your feet touch the water for the first time. Besides, it's not a true walk on the beach until you've squeezed your toes in the white sand," he said by way of explanation. I couldn't help smiling down at him as he returned my now chilly feet to the cold stone step. After Peeta removed his shoes he placed both pairs in his left hand and took my hand with his right.

"You ready?" he asked me.

"Ready!" I said, feeling a rush of nerves and excitement at finally getting to walk on the beach. I took a little jump off the step and landed on the soft, cool sand. I let out a little breathless laugh as I buried my feet in it, feeling thousands of individual grains coming together to form a tickling cocoon around my feet. As we began to walk through it toward the waves, my thrill of finally being on the beach was overloaded with a hundred additional sensations.

The breeze in my hair, the salty aroma in my nose, the odd way of walking on the tiny dunes, and Peeta's warm hand in mine lent an air of magic to the beach I had never felt anywhere else. As we got closer to the water's edge I could clearly make out the black waves just before they crested and burst upon the shore. I let my feet rest just below the water line and squealed at the cold as it finally hit my feet, causing me to jump back.

The throaty chuckle of Peeta's laugh beside me made me look up to find he had been watching my antics at the water's edge. I gave him a shy smile, suddenly feeling self-conscious for some reason.

"Hey, hey, what's that? Don't stop on my account, I was enjoying the show," he said sweetly as he pulled me closer into his side. I felt his warm lips graze the side of my neck as his hands sketched the lines of my hips.

I pushed back against him and felt the harnessed strength of him behind my back. I turned in his arms and wrapped mine around his neck before I stood on the tips of my toes and pulled him down to me in an open-mouthed kiss. It didn't take long for the kiss to turn hotter, and without any recollection as to how I got there, I found myself nestled in the soft sand with Peeta's warm body on top of mine.

He kissed his way down my neck while his hands caressed my upper thighs from beneath my skirt. His hands pushed my inner thighs apart and I felt him sink between them, his solid weight pushing against me, causing me to moan at the feel of his warm body pressed so closely against mine.

"Kat, you're so beautiful," he saidsaid, bringing his hands up to cup my face before kissing me reverently. My hands slid beneath his shirt and traced the defined muscles that were hidden from me by his clothes. God, I missed having this man on top of me.

"I need you," I whispered against his mouth. He looked into my eyes questioningly, his irregular breathing panting out the unspoken question. Yes, here. Now.

His lips found mine again, more urgent this time, the carefully restrained need and passion released and flowing freely between us. My hands dipped lower and I found the fastenings of his pants and quickly undid them. His hands found the silk of my underwear, and I was only half aware of them being ripped along the sides as he bit down hard on my nipple. I cried out at the exquisite agony. Returning his mouth to devour my lips, he smothered my moan with a fervent kiss. I felt him hot and ready against me a moment before he pushed himself inside, the purposeful slide causing me to cry out his name as he moved further into me. Peeta let out a moan as our bodies completely joined. He put both his hands beneath me crushing me to him at the completion of every punishing thrust. I felt my body take him in even deeper and the relentless pleasure had me biting hard on my lower lip to keep me from screaming out.

Our pace was frantic and passion filled, both of us desperately trying to get closer to the other. My hands wound into his hair as our bodies found purchase in the sand, rapidly propelling us to our peaks. My body shook as my orgasm washed over me, climbing up and over me like the high tide to the shore. Peeta grasped me tighter to him as he reached his own climax, his arms holding me firm against him, allowing me to feel every crackle of energy that coursed between us.

A little while later, Peeta's hands loosened from around me and began to place calming strokes across my back. I leaned into him, my body completely relaxed against his. I felt an overwhelming need for sleep I had not felt in quite some time. The kind of sleep that comes just after a body is completely fulfilled. I barely noticed Peeta lift me and begin to carry me back to the house. I feebly offered to walk, only to be shushed back to sleep in the strong arms of the man I loved.

Peeta's pov

I laid Katniss down in our bed softly I wouldn't jostle her awake. She had been fast asleep by the time I had gotten her back to our bedroom and I had to lean her against me as I removed the sand from her clothing. I kissed her forehead and moved the blankets up to her shoulders before going to check on Hope in the connecting nursery.

The flashing light of my monitor nonchalantly discarded on the side table alerted me to a message. I opened it up quickly as I walked toward my daughter's dozing form. The monitor crashed to the floor as I stood frozen, absorbing the information. Hope began to cry at the loud sound and it brought me abruptly out of my daze. I picked her up and calmed her down quickly, imploring fate to let Katniss stay asleep. When Hope had quieted, I bent down to pick up the monitor and reread the message.

**Loverboy- **

**I fucked up.**

**Can't find Cato ANYWHERE. Last saw him in my apartment 48 hours ago. **

**Will continue to look everywhere but in the meantime, be advised. **

**That pervert still has a misplaced vendetta against you **

**and a hard on for your wife. **

**Seriously sorry, will let you know the minute I find him. **

**Will call soon. **

**-C**

I sat back and rested my head against the wall, Hope softly sighing near my ear. I put my hand to her head and brushed back her small cropping of hair trying to calm myself down. We could handle this. This wasn't like before, he couldn't hurt us now. He doesn't have the brains or the leadership to go after us on his own and Clove was already out looking for him. I told myself all of these things, willing them to help calm my anger and my anxiety. I repeated all the reasons why this changed so little on a loop in my mind, but nothing managed to calm me.

Now all I had to do was break the news to Katniss. I looked over the clock to see it was almost three in the morning. I sighed in resignation and put Hope back in her crib before moving to our room. Maybe I should let her sleep and tell her in the morning? I really wasn't sure. I had gotten into trouble in the past by keeping her unaware of this kind of news, only to have it come back and hurt our relationship. I didn't want to make that mistake again. I sighed and walked toward the bed, hoping that things would look better with the sunlight.

I woke to a quiet knocking on the door and opened my eyes to see Katniss in her white silk, floor length robe walking barefoot with Hope in tow to open the door. I groaned when I saw Thresh at the door, a severe frown on his face.

"Morning, Katniss. Peet, get up." I groaned audibly and came to stand behind Katniss.

"What's going on buddy?" I asked still half asleep – it couldn't be much later then six in the morning.

"Rue just got back from the community. She had been hanging out with some of the kids there and managed to get herself trashed."

"Sorry buddy, you want me to have a talk with her?" I asked interrupting him. I honestly didn't need to be woken at six in the morning for this.

"What? No. Last night when I did a house check before I went to bed, I had thought Rue and Prim were together in the community. But when Rue came in this morning Prim wasn't with her. Rue hasn't seen Prim since before the meeting. I looked everywhere. Prim didn't come home last night. Johanna, whos a mess by the way, mentioned seeing her on the town hall porch talking with a boy before she left."

My eyes shot open and I felt the adrenaline shoot up my back as I raced toward the closet to throw on clothes. I swore quietly under my breath. Prim was really turning into a bit of a pain in the ass.

**Please review they mean a lot! Thanks to the wonderful Katnisinme for being a great editor! You're not going to want to miss the next two chapters! As always please remember to Follow and favorite so I can better know my readers! Check me out on tumblr at lulubee1234! **


	10. The Red Union and The Tomahawks

Zeyer Pov

I had been running lookout for any Union activity when I saw them. The same three seedy Union recruiters that had been at the displaced persons camp outside the capitol had managed to migrate to the community to pick up new blood. They were marking trees with the metallic purple goop they had been using to mark the exit paths toward Union territory. I guess they had already managed to secure a base somewhere on the property. I just hoped that this time they hid it better, it would give me a few more days to hang low before I had to supervise the Tomahawks' raid on their camp. I know they didn't enjoy it when we blew up their last base while they were holding a new recruit meeting. Well, that's what they get, fucking American totalitarians.

I was trying to get a closer look at exactly what the synthetic material they were spreading on the trees was made out of when I heard a light rustling about three feet away from me. All I was able to recognize was blonde hair and my old leather jacket, but that was plenty of information to spur me quickly into action. I reached her just as she was about to cry out and give away our location. I grabbed her and pulled her swiftly behind the base of the tree, covering her mouth with one hand and wrapping the other around her waist securely. The shock kept her from fighting back, and I held us perfectly still while I watched their beams of light shine in the branches adjacent to our heads.

"Must have been another one of those creepy night birds. Let's go, we still have more ground to cover," one of them muttered to the other two. The voice sounded like the guy with the bloody tattoo on the back of his neck.

When I could no longer hear their movements in the trees I relaxed a little and took in some deep breaths. I looked into Prim's face to see she was looking at me with terror in her eyes. I realized I still had her completely pressed against me and my heavy breathing was pushing me harder up against her. I let go of her slowly, signaling to be extremely quiet.

"Zeyer!? What the hell was that for?" Prim hissed at me in a whisper.

"That was for your own protection!" I quietly shouted at her. I exhaled slowly. It wasn't her fault she didn't know what was going on, and I couldn't afford to be the one to tell her. I tried to calm down before I spoke again.

"Primrose, what are you doing out here?"

"I got lost. I ran after my friend Johanna and couldn't find my way home or back to the town hall so I figured I should sit and wait for the sun to rise so I could at least see where I was going," she explained.

Her shoulders were slumped forward, her head at a downward angle. I could tell by her demeanor that she regretted her decision so I didn't feel the need to make her feel worse than she already did. Her family must have been going insane with worry – I knew I should bring her home. The only problem was, I wasn't supposed to know where her home was exactly. Revealing that could get me into more trouble then necessary. I couldn't bring her to the dorms, and honestly if anyone saw us walking around the community at this time of night they'd think we must have a death wish. It was an unspoken rule that this time of night was reserved for mob activity. Should any Unions see us, they would assume we were part of a rival gang, which of course I was, but I couldn't let them know that. As for Prim, her hair would shine silver in even the dimmest light, so I felt like trying to head back to the community was a bad decision.

That's when it hit me – I could take her to the coast. It was close enough to her house that they could easily find her in the morning, and gang members weren't dumb enough to leave the cover of the trees. I could even manage a fire if there was any driftwood around. Without really thinking about what I was doing, I grabbed Prim's hand to pull her in the direction of the coast. When our hands clasped there was a small shock that caused her to jump back a little, but I didn't let go. Her hand was warm in mine, and I smiled secretly to myself thinking of how great it felt to hold her hand. I had wanted to do this for so long, and now that I was, I never wanted to let go.

I could tell she wasn't completely comfortable with me holding her hand but she wasn't going to let go, not in the dark when she didn't know where she was going. I intertwined my fingers with hers as we continued to walk. I tried not to worry that I might be pushing her too far too soon, considering how much she had been through in the past couple of months. I wasn't supposed to know about any of that, though, so I could continue to pretend that my intentions were innocent.

"Zeyer? Who were those guys back there?" Prim asked quietly as we continued to walk.

I debated how much I should tell her and settled on telling her almost the entire truth. "Those guys were recruiters for a gang called the Red Union. People refer to them as Unions for short. They are one of the most powerful underground crime groups in the nation. They control the majority of the potable water lines that supply the country. They have politicians, celebrities, and entire corporations that have secretly pledged their allegiance to the Red Union."

"Well, that explains some of what those guys were arguing about back at the town hall…but if they're so powerful, why are they recruiting here? We have nothing to offer them."

"Actually, they have every reason to be here. The Red Union believes in an authoritarian government, so even though they have many powerful connections in society they still aren't strong enough to go public with their future plans. They're here to recruit more bodies for their cause. You see, Panem refugees make great gangsters." When she looked confused I explained further.

"We're willing to do the dirty work just so we feel like we belong somewhere. Americans are too spoiled and arrogant to take care of the grunt work that runs an operation the size of the Red Union. Whereas Panem refugees have no qualms against being shoplifters, lookouts, graffiti writers, or illegal dealers because most of us had already participated in similar crimes just to survive while living in Panem.

At first they were just buying the Panem slaves and putting them to work on various low-end jobs they needed filled, but that was expensive and inefficient. So when Peeta pulled his move with kidnapping Katniss awhile back, they jumped at their opportunity and set the free slave campaign in motion."

She nodded in understanding as she began to comprehend what I was telling her.

"So, is the Falcon the leader of the Red Union? Like his nickname or something?" Prim asked me, catching me off guard.

"What? Where did you hear that?" I countered, buying myself time. She couldn't possibly know about the Tomahawk leader, could she?

"My friend Johanna and I were on the porch talking when some guys left the town hall meeting early. They mentioned how they weren't going to give over their guns because of the new policy, and that they were going to tell the Falcon. Then they said that there were Unions here and they should have gone and recruited in Jefferson," Prim said cautiously, seeing how I would react to the new information. I kept my face void of expression, even giving a slightly confused look at points.

I was going to pummel whichever guys spoke so openly in public , they knew better then to talk within the borders of the community about our gang.

"I don't know who the Falcon is," I lied, "but I don't think he's the Union leader," I responded casually. "As for recruiting in Jefferson, they might be talking about Jefferson County where the Panem rebel headquarters is. Other than that, your guess is as good as mine."

"How do you know so much about all of this stuff?" she asked me curiously.

"Well, unlike some people, I haven't been living under a rock," I said without thinking.

Shit, I hope she didn't read too much into that and realize that I knew where her family lived. I breathed a sigh of relief when I heard her chuckle. I was starting to get a little paranoid. This was by far the longest conversation I had ever had with Prim, and I was getting anxious about how comfortable I felt with her.

"What's that sound?" she asked me, referring to the waves surging onto the beach.

"It's just the ocean, we're getting really close. See, up ahead you can see the trees thinning."

"Why are we walking to the beach?"

Because it's right next-door to your family's secret hideaway, I answered in my head. "Because it was so much closer to where I found you and I couldn't very well take you back into the dorms with me," I replied in actuality.

"That reminds me, what were you doing out so far from the community anyway?" she asked.

I was saved from responding as Prim froze and covered her eyes quickly with her hands. "Oh, dear god," she muttered, turning away from the beach quickly.

"What…?" I began to ask, but then I saw. Thirty or so feet outside the tree line Peeta and Katniss were actively going at it on the beach. Well damn. It was nice to know married people still had fun, too. Although I guess technically they're not actually married, as all the celeb gossips like to point out. How American of them.

I looked back over at Prim to see that she still had her hands over her eyes and she was rubbing her palms against her eye sockets like she was trying to erase the image from her mind. I couldn't help it – I laughed a little, very quietly.

"In what world do you find this funny?" she deadpanned, still not taking her hands from her eyes.

"You have to admit, it's a little funny," I answered playfully. "Look on the bright side, they're not worried about you. They probably don't even know you never came home last night. In fact, if you stayed on the beach all night, they might not even realize you didn't sleep in your room."

"It wouldn't work, I have a roommate," she said, finally taking her hands off her face, but not turning back toward the beach.

"Who's your roommate?" I asked as I sat down against the trunk of a tree. If we were waiting, I may as well get comfortable here.

"Rue, do you know her?" she asked me, taking a seat next to me. There were three feet between us, but nonetheless, Primrose Everdeen had voluntarily sat down next to me.

"She's the little one with the springy curls and the dark skin who works in the commissary?" I asked, even though I knew exactly who Rue was. It was my job to know.

"Yep, that's her."

"Yea… she's not going to realize you're gone considering the fact that she's passed out drunk on the porch of the guy's dormitory."

"Wait, what? Rue? Are you serious?" Prim asked me incredulously.

I nodded. "I don't believe it…" she said, shaking her head laughing a little. It was a pretty hilarious sight, seeing the girl dancing on the porch railings before toppling over into some guy's arms and watching her hit on him with slurred words. It must have done the trick, though, because they were snuggled up nice and tight an hour or so later when I went to run perimeter watch.

"Well, believe it, Primrose. I don't make these things up," I responded.

"Why do you always call me Primrose? No one calls me that. You sound like my father."

I just shrugged. "You've never told me to call you anything different. What should I call you?"

"Prim. People call me Prim," she informed me.

"Well, Prim it is then," I agreed with a smile.

After a couple minutes of companionable silence, Prim said, "Umm Zeyer? Do you mind checking and seeing if they, um...if they're, you know…?"

"Done having marital relations?" I smiled wide when I saw how red Prim's face got. "Why Prim, I didn't take you for being a prude," I lightly teased her.

"Oh be quiet. I'm not a prude. It's just that's my sister and…can you just check?!" she responded exasperated.

I chuckled and stood up to look over the sand dune. Farther in the distance I could make out Peeta carrying Katniss over to the hidden stairway that led up to their house. Unfortunately for Katniss, Peeta seemed to have left her red panties behind in the sand.

"They're gone, but your sister seems to have forgotten an article of clothing," I said to Prim. Prim stood up and saw Katniss' discarded underwear on the side of the sand dune.

"That's so embarrassing for her!" she said, throwing her hand over her mouth. "I should really go get those for her…"

I watched her walk toward the beach and a bad feeling came over me. Sticking to my instincts I got low and surveyed the perimeter. There to the right, not fifty feet away, were three Tomahawks that had clearly broken rank at some point in the night. They were heading directly toward the dune Katniss and Peeta had just occupied.

I quickly grabbed Prim's hand and pulled her down beside me. She let out a little yelp of surprise and once again I covered her mouth with my hand. I brought my other hand to my mouth as a signal to remain silent as I continued to crouch low to the ground. She gave a slight nod to show me she understood and I lifted my hand slowly from her mouth. She turned her head to watch the men approach the beach. I felt her tense up and out of my peripheral vision I saw her eyes widen in what looked to be fear.

"That was so fucking hot," one of them muttered, making a humping motion. "Makes me want to go back to the dorms and find that insecure slut you fucked last night, Slash. I bet she wouldn't mind me taking her for a ride. What was her name again?" the dick with the shaved head asked Slash, the scraggly one with the pierced eyelids.

"Hell if I know her name. She sucked anyways, kept asking me if I thought she was beautiful. I finally had to tell her to just shut the fuck up. Nowhere near as hot as that fucking scene. I'll tell you this much, Katniss Everdeen is one fine piece of ass. If I was Mellark, I would have kidnapped her, too, so I could fuck her whenever I wanted," Slash responded, kicking sand as he walked.

"Well, I'm keeping these as a souvenir," the third Tomahawk I didn't recognize said, picking up Katniss' underwear and twirling them around his finger.

"Will you keep it down, dumbass? Their little hiding spot is probably nearby. We don't want the element of surprise wasted because you're too loud claiming the girl's ripped ass huggers," Slash replied, slapping his companion on the back of the head.

"Now let's circle this place, see what we can find. They disappeared up north of here," Slash said, spitting into the sand as he walked away.

We watched them go, neither of us moving an inch, but I could feel how tense Prim was next to me. When they had disappeared farther down the beach she spoke quietly to me.

"Those were the same guys who I heard talking as they left the town hall building. Who are they? And why do they want to find where we live?" Prim asked me quietly. I could tell she was nervous.

So those were the idiots that spoke openly in camp. Well, they were going to have their asses handed to them tomorrow after I filed a report against them. The truth was I had no idea what those three were up to, but I didn't like it. As far as I knew there was no reason that they were even supposed to be out this late, let alone on the beach casing the Mellark's house. Everyone knew tonight was a quiet night for the Tomahawks, especially after what was said in town hall about gangs lying low. Falcon was going to be pissed when he found out about these three breaking orders. I didn't know who their assigned superior was but I was thankful it wasn't me so I wouldn't have to deal with the fall out.

"I have no idea what those pigs are up to, but to be on the safe side I think we should wait here until it's light out to go onto the beach. I have no desire to run into those guys with you." Especially because they're probably packing a lot more weapons than I am, I thought.

"I'm okay with staying here, but aren't you cold? And I feel bad that you have to wait up with me all night. Didn't you say you had to get up early?" she asked me.

"Trying to get rid of me, Prim?" I said, teasing her by pulling on a lock of her hair. Even though the guys were gone, neither of us had gotten up.

"What? No! No, it's not that. I just…" We were lying side by side on our stomachs, looking at each other, and the position afforded me the ability to see every emotion play out on her face. Surprise, fear, guilt, happiness, guilt again, and finally she met my eyes looking confused, torn almost.

"I'm messing with you, besides I wouldn't leave you out here alone with those dicks walking around even if you asked me to," I said, bumping my shoulder into hers.

We talked about an array of different things while we waited for the sun to rise, until finally we fell asleep next to each other. I woke up with a start and looked over at Prim who was fast asleep, cuddled into my side. She had her arm wrapped around my waist and her head rested on my bicep. She was really beautiful, angelic with her soft features and delicate movements.

When she had told me about her trip into America and finding out about her boyfriend dying I wanted to hug her to me and take away her pain. I wanted to protect her, keep her happy and safe, which were some of the dumbest things I could wish for. No one in my position got to do what they wanted to do, they just had to do what they were told. Besides, if Prim ever found out who I really was and what I really did, she'd never let me near her again.

The sun was up and with it so was our time together. I knew this, but it was still hard to accept. I gave her a kiss on her forehead while she still slept before getting up and dusting off my clothes from sleeping on the ground.

I pulled a data plate out of my pocket and saw that it was a quarter to six. I could walk the beach with Prim until she made some excuse to take the staircase up to her house, and still make it to the barn to pass a message to the Falcon before anyone realized I was late reporting for work.

"Prim, it's time to get up. It's morning. I don't want your family to worry about you," I said, shaking her awake. She opened her eyes to look up at me and let an unguarded smile light up her face. That smile was all it took for me to realize that I had a decision to make. If I wanted a chance with Prim I would need to change who I was before she found out the truth, and I would need to do it quickly and without getting killed. If I wanted things to remain the way they were, I would need to avoid her from here on out. Easier said then done.

**Please _review!_! Your comments mean so much to me and they let me know that I am on the right track! **

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**Thanks and Gratitude to my beta, Katnissinme for all of her help on not only my story but some of my favorite fanfics as well. **

**Find me on Tumblr at _Lulubee1234_**

_Thanks again for reading and reviewing!  
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	11. A Boy, a Stunner, and a Captive

**Prim's pov **

The morning wind was chilly on my skin as I fought to keep my eyes focused ahead of me and not look back at Zeyer as he walked off in the other direction. I may not have been ready to admit to the feelings coursing through me after spending the night awake with him, but I recognized the early fluttering of something I was too afraid to name. I knew I would never love anyone the way I loved Rory, but I felt this pull toward Zeyer that terrified me. I didn't _want_ to be happy again, not without Rory, and what scared me the most about Zeyer was that he had the ability to make me forget that. Being with him was making me happy; the problem was that after I was with him, I felt guilty about that. My shoes crunched in the dewy grass of the open field and provided background music to my thoughts. The quiet, steady rhythm made the sudden, piercing scream all the louder and unexpected, causing me to jolt from my thoughts and run toward the sound.

"Hey! What the hell are you doing? Let go of her!" I heard Peeta yell angrily as if in a struggle.

"Let me go!" Katniss' voice screamed in anger, quickly followed by a "Peeta!" filled with fear.

I ran closer to their voices as fear coursed through me. I didn't understand what was going on. I turned the corner in front of the house and saw Peeta on the ground, his body convulsing painfully from the shock of an electric stun gun. One of the gang members Zeyer and I had seen earlier on the beach was holding the gun and had it pointed at Peeta. Katniss was being carried by the other two men I had seen walking on the beach this morning. I ran after them and punched one of the guys carrying Katniss in the neck. I had caught him by surprise and he let out a scream of pain and dropped Katniss' legs. Before I could move to help her attack the other guy who held her I felt someone grab me from behind and fling me over their shoulder.

"We got them both! Let's get the fuck out of here," the guy with the pierced eyelids, who was still carrying Katniss, screamed. "Leave Mellark, he's just dead weight anyway."

I was screaming and kicking like crazy and so was Katniss. All we had to do was keep fighting to slow them down enough for help to arrive, we were still in front of the house after all. Suddenly my body was thrown to the ground hard, my right arm let out the unmistakable crack of broken bone. After I absorbed the impact I looked up to see my attacker fighting none other than Zeyer. My heart let out a cry of gratitude and relief as I saw him. He had come back. I watched Zeyer take a sharp right hook to the face and saw his nose begin to bleed. Without letting it phase him he returned the blow with a series of sharp upper cuts, quickly taking down my attacker. His chest expanded with his heavy breaths as he turned toward the man who held Katniss.

"Slash, you don't know what the fuck you're doing. Drop the girl," Zeyer said with a calm menace to his voice as he slowly rounded on the man who held Katniss. I didn't realize he knew the men on the beach, but hoped that maybe since he did know them, this Slash might listen to him.

"Shut the fuck up, Condor, you think I take orders from you?" Slash spat out at Zeyer. I didn't have long to contemplate the nickname Condor because I only then realized why Katniss was no longer struggling – Slash held a knife to her neck. I let out a small cry of panic that Zeyer noticed. When he tore his eyes to me his face was masked with focus and power and his words were bit out slowly with the air of authority as he turned back to Katniss' attacker.

"I don't know what kind of orders you're running on, but the Falcon has definitely not authorized this. Let her go, Slash. Now!" The last word was said so menacingly that I couldn't fathom that the man who had whispered funny stories to me for half the night was the same as the one speaking in front of me now. I crawled slowly towards Peeta who was conscious but still shaking heavily from the aftershocks of the stun gun that now lay discarded near him. I watched helplessly as the other two attackers ran into the tree line and to safety. I had thought about trying to hit them with the stun gun but they were clearly out of my limited shooting range.

Slash gave a gruesome smile and took a meaningful step back, forcing Katniss to move with him. "Shows how much you know. I know the Falcon's true desires, and I will be rewarded greatly for presenting him with these two trophies before he expected them."

"You're wrong, Slash. The Falcon has made it perfectly clear to me that we are to leave these people alone for the time being. Your ambition is jeopardizing everything we have worked toward. You were supposed to follow orders. Instead, not only have you given away our whereabouts to the Red Union by accosting this woman in broad daylight, but you've gone completely rogue as a Tomahawk. Drop the knife and I will make sure that you are not severely punished. I have that power, you know I do, but you need to drop the knife. If you harm her in any way there is no going back for you. Do you understand me, hawk?"

My mind couldn't process everything Slash and Zeyer were saying because my body was so seized with fear. I understood Zeyer had lied to me, but I couldn't concentrate on that tidbit in the midst of all this danger. What felt like hours, but was likely just seconds, of silence passed before Slash moved the knife and pushed Katniss to the ground in front of Zeyer.

"The Falcon will hear about the opportunity you have cost him today, Condor. You think this is the rebellion? You think the Falcon respects those who simply follow orders? No. The Falcon respects ambition and bravery, those who take the initiative. You'll be sorry you ever got involved," he said, before spitting on the ground and turning to run. In my anger I picked up the discarded stun gun and aimed it at Slash before pushing the trigger.

Slash had been close enough that the shot should have hit him and forced him to convulse on the ground, the way it actually happened could not have been more different. After I pulled the trigger not only did Slash continue to run unaffected but Peeta let out another cry of pain and jerked sharply on the ground adjacent to me.

"Prim, no! The Stunner is planted in Peeta's skin!" Zeyer yelled at me. In the distance I could hear Slash cackling as he ran. I was scared, angry and now mortified beyond belief.

"Oh my god, Peeta, I am so sorry," I said quickly while Katniss looked over Peeta's shaking body helplessly.

"Prim, go run and get help. Get Annie and a stretcher. Bring some shock absorbers, burn therapy and a defibrillator just in case. Hurry!" Katniss yelled at me.

I didn't have time to think. I did what she asked and ran behind the rocks that hid the stairway to our home and banged through the door at the top. I screamed for help and didn't stop until my voice ran out.

The morning passed in a blur of activity. The house was on high alert after I had come in running. Damien, Gale, and Annie came out quickly with a stretcher. Finnick and Thresh were close behind and provided necessary security; they held enough weapons to take down an army of a hundred. Even though I was in pain, Johanna and I moved Finn and Hope into the safe house and got ready to get Peeta into the infirmary. No one had to say it – we were going into lock down while we decided as a team how best to continue.

Everyone was clearly angry and on edge about the situation. I would catch angry comments being muttered as I passed by but no one would speak to me directly about it. I think they blamed me partially for the attack. I couldn't be sure but after they brought in Peeta I heard Damien mutter something like, "I'd just leave these animals and build a new fucking safe house for us," but Thresh quieted him down before I could hear the rest and replied by saying, "Not now, we'll talk at the family tribunal."

After Peeta was taken care of Annie came out to tell me how he was doing. The stunner had struck Peeta in the back and given him third degree burns at the entry points. He was tired and out of it from the attack to his nervous system, but otherwise was doing okay. He and Katniss, who only had a small cut on her neck from the knife, were resting together in their room.

My arm was broken and Annie set and wrapped it. She then administered a rapid heal prescription that was supposed to jumpstart the bone growth, before going to wait anxiously by the security room to see when Thresh, Damien and Finnick would get back from the community. They had all gone in armed together to pick up Rue, who was supposedly still asleep on the boy's dormitory front porch, completely oblivious to this morning's attack.

Everyone in the house was furious at Rue and I for staying out the entire night and putting everyone's safety in jeopardy. I didn't blame them for being angry with me, but I did blame Johanna for many of my mistakes. She should have warned us all about the gangs and the unions before last night. Her failure to speak up put us all in danger. I went through the safehouse to search for her and came across Gale standing in front of the door to the storage room.

"Hey have you seen Johanna?" I asked him uncomfortably. We had barely spoken to each other since I came to America.

"She's in the study with Hope and Finn," he answered with an edge in his voice.

"What's up with you?" I asked him confused by his sharp tone.

I was clearly asking about his mood but he answered me literally. "Why, I'm guarding your gangster boyfriend, since the little shithead can't be trusted. He's chained up to the back wall in the storage room right now."

I understood immediately. Zeyer. Zeyer was in the safehouse? I couldn't believe he was in our house, and after the conversation I heard between him and Slash outside I was uncomfortable with having him here. He knew too much, and whereas a few hours ago I could have trusted him, now I knew it was a mistake.

"You brought him into the safe house! Are you crazy!?" I said to Gale, fuming now. I decided to ignore the boyfriend comment as it was ridiculous and it hurt to have Gale even suggest I could have feelings for someone other then Rory.

"Calm yourself. He came with us willingly and blindfolded. I checked him for trackers and he was clear. We couldn't just let him go seeing as it was his gang that attacked the three of you," Gale responded, a little calmer. I could see he was trying to control his temper so I decided not to push him.

"Move aside, I'm going to talk to him," I said, trying my best to keep my frustration in check as well.

"You really think that's a good idea, Prim?" he asked me with an arched eyebrow. I didn't answer him. "Fine, but I'm going in with you and we're locking ourselves in with him. If that bastard tries anything I'll be armed and he won't have anywhere to go."

I nodded in agreement before taking a deep breath and entering the room. Zeyer was hunched over on the floor with his head in his hands when I entered, refusing to look up. Only after Gale turned on the light, shut the door and locked us inside did he look up. He seemed surprised to see me.

"How are you feeling?" he asked me looking at my broken arm. His face held a quiet smile that was far too innocent. I suddenly felt an emotion well up in me that I hadn't experienced in a long time; some might call it anger, but for me it was borderline rage.

"I'm fine, _Condor_. Thank you for asking," I replied with a sarcastic sting in my voice. He had the decency to at least look guilty.

"Prim, what do you want me to say? It's not information I could have readily volunteered about myself," he admitted in a defeated tone.

"So, are you a good gangster or a bad gangster?" I asked mockingly, trying to give him a shot to come clean.

"I'm not sure anymore," he confessed, meeting my eyes. The emotions I saw in his made me all the angrier. He had no right to look at me that way, like he cared about me. Like he was sorry. I knew it wasn't real, he was just following orders.

"What the fuck kind of answer is that, shithead, and don't look at her that way or I'll break your face." Gale said angrily from the corner to Zeyer. Even though Gale's comment annoyed me he was just trying to protect me so when I saw Zeyer gearing up to answer him it was Zeyer I attacked. I may not be to thrilled with Gale right now but on this we were aligned.

"He's right. Don't look at me like that, you have no right too. You're a liar and a traitor. I feel like an imbecile for trusting you. I thought…I honestly thought for a minute there that you were a good guy, that you could be my friend. Turns out you're one of the low-life gangsters you were warning me about. Gain little Prim's trust, make her feel special, until the time was right for the Falcon, whoever the hell he is, and kidnap her just like all the other orders you follow. That about right?" I choked out as I held in angry tears.

"Prim…I... It's more complicated than that. There's so much that you don't understand. That I want to tell you," he pleaded.

"There's nothing fucking stopping you." Gale spit back with venom. I turned to look at Gale briefly telling him with my eyes to back off and that I could handle this. He begrudgingly gave a small shrug and took a step back allowing me to continue.

"So explain it to me then, Condor, Tomahawk, whoever the hell you are," I suggested, feeling the tears stinging the back of my eyes. I couldn't cry, not in front of him and definitely not in front of Gale.

"So, I guess you've figured out at this point that I'm a member of the Tomahawks, the rival gang of the Red Union, made up mainly if not solely of Panem refugees," he said slowly.

"Go on," I replied angrily.

"What do you want me to say?" He looked almost defeated.

"Tell me the complicated part! Tell me why you lied! What you do! Why you even joined a gang in the first place!" I yelled at him.

"I joined because I believe in the cause." He answered back vaguely.

"And what mighty cause is it that the Tomahawks believe makes them so superior to the Red Union, or any other criminal gang, hmm?"

"The Tomahawks believe in the unification of Panem and America. They want to get rid of both countries' systems. No more profitalism and no more dictatorship. Profitalism is basically a watered-down version of anarchy at this point, and that doesn't work. We have figure-heads who don't do anything. Laws that are rarely enforced, and at the end of the day everyone suffers because of it. I don't have to go into detail to you about how screwed up Panem is. Did you know that they're still selling people from the districts to people in the capital? So Tomahawks want to unite what's left of the old lands and reestablish a true democracy, the way it once was. We're only criminals because we need a way to fund the cause, and sometimes it isn't legal to protect ourselves, but I don't participate in any of that anymore."

"So then what the hell is it that you are doing now, Zeyer? And why not just join the rebellion?"

"I didn't join the rebellion because my heart isn't fully in it. The rebellion's main goal is to overthrow the Panem government and release the oppressed citizens of the districts. I can guarantee you every person fighting in that rebellion has a loved one still waiting back home. That's how they ended up slaves to begin with, don't forget. I don't have a family, so it's a different level of loyalty. The Tomahawks have a larger plan, but still consider the rebellion their allies. There are a lot of people who fight in the rebellion who are also members of the Tomahawks," Zeyer responded smoothly.

"And there are more then enough that don't." Gale spit back at him from the corner of the room.

"Well, that answers one part of my question but not the main one. What the hell is it that you're doing now? Why were you out last night in the first place, Zeyer? What's your supposedly 'legal job' with the Tomahawks, hmmmm?"

"I can't tell you that. I did what I had to do to protect you, it wasn't even a choice!" he yelled back at me.

What the hell was he talking about? What did he mean it wasn't a choice? And how did his choices have anything to do with protecting me? He was talking in riddles and I didn't like it.

"What the hell does that mean? No choice? Protecting me?

He was silent. "Tell me," I said again.

"I can't," Zeyer said, looking uncomfortable.

"Why not?" I demanded.

"Because you would hate me."

I laughed snidely. "We may have already crossed that bridge. So what do you have to lose? Try me," I spit back.

"Some of the things I would have to tell you are not for me to tell," he said.

"Then tell me what you can tell me."

He let out a soft laugh that threw me off guard in the midst of our heated conversation. It was quiet for a few moments while he let my request hang in the air. His face was pale and he was biting his bottom lip hard. I could tell he was having an internal argument with himself and watched, fascinated, as he worked his way to a decision. He looked me in the eyes before he spoke, his face was twisted in what looked like pain.

"I can't tell you anything else." He replied back quietly.

"Then we're done here. You can rot in here for all I care." I said, fuming, and turning around and grabbing the key from Gale to unlock the door myself. When it was open I handed the key back to Gale.

"Prim, please wait. Please don't go like this." Zeyer said from inside his makeshift cell.

I kept walking and refused to look back.

**Thanks for you patience everyone I hope you enjoyed the chapter, but either way I want to hear about it! Special thanks to the dedicated Katnissinme, Beta Editor extraordinaire. PLease remember to favorite, follow and review! **


	12. Time Away and The Tribunal

**Good Evening Everybody! I wanted to take this time to give a special thanks to my beta reader Katnissinme, if you look at a list of your favorite stories odds are she edits them. (Just so you understand how awesome she is.) I also wanted to thank my fabulous readers and everyone who comments. Comments are the fuel that keeps writers writing so I want to thank everyone who takes the time to help me keep writing! **

**I hope you all enjoy this chapter and look forward to reading your reviews! **

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I looked over the expanse of mountains as the sun set over the ocean on a perfect day. It had taken a little while to cultivate this feeling of peace that had felt impossible to attain just three short weeks ago. Back then I didn't think I would ever be able to take pleasure in the breeze on my face as I watched the sunset. I had thought I would be confined to the safe house, weighed down by my fears. I could never have imagined then the freedom I feel now.

The fear that had gripped us all in the days after the attack outside our home was still fresh in my memory. Before the attack, our naiveté was so great that we truly didn't feel that the strangers we had invited into our lives were going to be a credible threat. My fears revolved around Cato's retribution, Pro-slavery activist backlash, and consequences of a rebellion brewing in my home country. How wrong I had been. How wrong we all had been.

Our small-mindedness resulted in our inability to grasp the full scope of the danger that we faced in response to our actions. The celebrity Peeta and I shared as "America's favorite couple" was a greater risk to us than we could have imagined. Not to mention our obliviousness to the dark side of America, the Gang Societies. I just never thought that the people we tried to help would ever try to hurt us. I had clearly been wrong.

In my short year living in America I had thought the country's failure resulted from the absence of a balanced government and fair, binding laws. In reality, the country's failure came from the secret gang wars and the exploitation of the few illegal acts that existed in America. One would think that with a society built on profitalism, where society was set up so that every man had the opportunity to gain and trade freely, the few rules in place would actually be upheld. Apparently, asking citizens to not kill, not steal, not bribe and not trade weapons of mass destruction was too much of a burden to place on their shoulders. By allowing such open and free trade it pushed gangs into dealing with the dirtiest of crimes. I guess people will always find a way to cut corners in order to get ahead. Which is exactly what those three boys had planned to do.

The attack on our family in front of our home had been for one purpose only: greed. Three power-hungry Panem refugee Tomahawk gang members had decided to try to jump ahead in their rankings by bringing Prim and I to their gang leader. I could only assume that from there we would have been ransomed back to Peeta or a higher bidder. The kidnapping would have been met with approval because even though it is illegal it would have brought in money for the Tomahawk cause and the end would justify the means. In the minds of these criminals, the end would always justify the means. I shuddered to think about what would have happened if Zeyer hadn't come to help us.

I still don't understand the motives behind Zeyer's actions. From his confession to us, he himself is a Tomahawk, yet he came to our defense over those of his partners in crime, his fellow Tomahawks. Gale thought Zeyer did it to keep the balance of power. Apparently Zeyer is ranked higher than the three boys who attacked us and Gale felt Zeyer wanted to remain the higher rank. Finnick believed it was to keep the peace in the community. Damien felt that he did it to keep the Tomahawks anonymous and not reveal their leading officers to the Red Union. Out of all of us, only Rue felt he came to our defense because he thought it was the right thing to do.

I still didn't know what to believe. It seemed to me that Zeyer Pannone was a walking contradiction. He's a Panem refugee and a high-ranking gang member of a gang who came to our defense instead of his fellow gang members'. He had come willingly when we locked him in the strong room for questioning and had returned Prim to us unharmed before the attack. Even after all this, though, it was clear there were many important things this guy was hiding, and the mystery surrounding him still marked him as untrustworthy in my mind. After I spoke with the others it was clear that I wasn't the only one who felt that way about him, as was evidenced the night of the tribunal when everyone let his or her opinions be known.

I shivered involuntarily as I thought about that heated night. The night after the attack, the entire house had come together and formed our first family tribunal in an effort to hear out every stakeholder's opinion and come to some kind of clear direction or decision. The fear and the anger had been so palpable in the room that everyone I loved was on edge.

I had been numb at the time, my fear so consuming that I had been unable to really process everything that was being discussed. Peeta had received severe burns and his system had still been adjusting itself, which caused him painful muscle spasms and severe fatigue. Every time his body would spasm it would bring tears to my eyes. It wasn't fair that someone whom I loved, someone who had done so many selfless things for others, should have to suffer like that.

Damien had gone first because it was his idea to call the meeting. His point of view had been met by a couple agreements, a few disagreements, and one or two bursts of outrage.

"_Let's just turn him over to the cops and let them handle it. Best case – we just turned him over to his Red union enemy, if what he said about them controlling so much of the government is true, and worst case he's still out of our way and setting an example for the entire community,"_ _Damien had said bluntly to the entire group._

"_While we're at it, let's send them all back to where they came from. We don't owe these people anything. We have all sacrificed plenty to give them this chance at a better life. They fucked it up and there are consequences. Let's kick them all out and maybe we can add in some new security measures and a real interview process BEFORE bringing back a few of them to live on our land."_

"_Damien, no offense but are you INSANE?" Rue countered, her sweet nature peeled back to reveal a strong and opinionated core I had not expected. "Three boys. Three stupid, scared, and misguided boys, should not trigger a decision to send over five hundred well-meaning refugees back to a life of suffering. We are all these people have now. They probably can't even go back to the displaced persons camps that were set up for them now that they've left. It's not like they knew what those boys were up to; most of them probably don't even know who those boys are. As for Zeyer, the guy rescued Katniss and Prim and while I agree it's weird and he's clearly hiding something, actions speak louder than words. We can't send him away just for keeping secrets. We'd be punishing him for helping us when he could have done nothing and we would never have bothered him." _

"_Rue, that's enough out of you. Your opinion doesn't hold too much weight after how we found you this morning. You're on extremely thin ice as it is. This entire attack could have been avoided if you hadn't decided to pick last night to stay out and find yourself a boyfriend," Thresh admonished with a quiet tone that accentuated his anger._

"_You put everyone at risk by not returning home with Prim last night. The only reason those boys had the opportunity to attack Peeta and Katniss was because they ran out looking for both of you before the rest of us. So no, Damien is not insane. He was actually here and witnessed the immediate aftereffects of the attack those 'three stupid boys' pulled this morning. And where were you that entire time? Passed out drunk and half naked on a porch in the arms of someone who wouldn't even be here if Peeta and Katniss hadn't given him a chance."_

_Rue had tears of anger and embarrassment in her eyes and I could tell she was taken aback by the harsh words her brother had spoken to her. I had expected her to fight back but she remained stone still with her nostrils flared. _

"_We know we messed up last night, but it's not fair to place all the blame on us when so many factors went into this morning's attack. Our mistake definitely shouldn't render our opinions any less meaningful than anyone else's," Prim had replied to Thresh in Rue's defense. _

_She had been sitting on the floor in the corner of the safe house great room where the meeting was held and had remained quiet up until that point. She hadn't really spoken to me since the attack but it was clear that she was taking it especially hard. From what I had witnessed no one had actively blamed her for disappearing last night. What I found interesting, though, was that she still included herself in being partially responsible. _

"_You could make a strong argument for every person's opinion thus far, but there's no reason for us to turn on each other and start pointing fingers in the room." I hadn't seen it at the time but apparently at Prim's comment Johanna made some kind of face that caused Prim to snap. I definitely had not expected her severe mood swing._

"_What? What Johanna? What was that for? Or would you like for me to start pointing fingers at the real reason I was out all night? Or how about the reason why we weren't prepared for the gang attack, or how strong the gangs were in the first place? It's really too bad that no one in our entire group had inside knowledge about the gangs, isn't it Johanna? If I found out that someone in our group had personal knowledge of the threats the gangs posed to our way of life I would have expected them to come forward months ago with that information, when we were making the decisions to let strangers into our land in the first place. In my mind, anyone who kept that information from the group would undoubtedly be responsible for any harm that may have come to the group at the hands of the gangs. Wouldn't you agree, Johanna?" Prim replied with acid in her voice. _

"_Unfortunately, I don't have answers to your questions, sweet Prim, but maybe your gangster boyfriend who's currently locked up in the storage room could shed some light on the situation. From what I understand, that was the real reason you were out all night," Johanna snapped back. _

"_You don't know what the hell you're talking about, Johanna, considering that I got lost in the woods chasing after you! I wouldn't have made it back at all if Zeyer hadn't found me in the first place. You hadn't even cared enough to see if I had gotten back last night after you heard me calling after you!" _

"_Jo had every reason to run last night, Prim. There are some things you just don't understand. She was in no position to check after you or anyone else last night. She left in an act of self-preservation you can't blame her for that. It took half the night just to get her to calm down, all right? "_ _Gale interjected, surprisingly calm for Gale. _

"_Like hell I can't blame her!"_ _Prim shouted, tears appearing in her eyes. _

"_Alright, that's enough. Prim, you had the right idea in the beginning, let's not point fingers. We didn't come together to fight, we came together to make a collective decision based on what's best for the group. Our first priority is obviously all of our safety, which has currently been compromised, as we are all aware. So let's start coming up with answers to our problems instead of hashing them out, shall we?" As usual, Annie piped in as the voice of reason. _

_I was still too numb to contribute to the conversation but I was thankful for Annie stepping in. I was exhausted and I could tell Peeta was barely holding on next to me. His pain and fatigue were reflected clearly in his eyes as he looked at me. I ran my fingers gently over his face, feeling the need to soothe him in whatever way I could. I wanted the meeting to end quickly so I could take him back to our room to rest. _

"_Since technically I was in line to speak after Damien,_ _I would like to review some of the options that are on the table before I give my opinion. There are both short-term and long-term solutions that need to be addressed, but considering the stress of today I suggest we attempt to handle the short-term problems only tonight. We have very few legitimate options given the size of our group and the refugee situation, but the main concern here, as Annie pointed out, is our continued safety. These are the options as I see them. Our first option would be to remain in the safe house on lock down until we have worked out how we are addressing the long-term solutions. Our second option is to expel all of the refugees who have recently been admitted and in a week or so continue with our regular lives. Third, we could all simply leave and attempt to make a new life. Lastly, we could implement a combination of our options. Those who are at the most risk could leave the estate for a brief period of time while those of us who are less at risk could attempt to establish a peaceful community." _

"_What are you suggesting, Finnick?_"

"_I'm suggesting the last option. We are all angry and we are all scared, but we can't forget that these people are our people. Most of them, I like to believe, are innocent people who just want to begin a new life. However, it is not worth putting our family at risk. Katniss, Peeta, I think of both of you as family. You have opened your hearts and your home to all of us when you had no reason to and you were repaid by being attacked on your own land. Peeta, you need rest and relaxation after your recent injuries. Let the rest of us take care of these problems in the meantime. You have done so much, you both deserve some time away. Take the van and take Hope and leave this behind for a while, you both deserve a vacation_."

_I was stunned at what Finnick had suggested. Leave home? I had to admit the idea of leaving all of our worries behind was enticing but I still had some reservations. Peeta would never be comfortable leaving our responsibility on others' shoulders, and how would we even be able to leave?_

"_Are you sure? Is it even safe? How would we leave?_" _I asked skeptically. _

"_If you keep the car on invisibility and don't travel toward any of the cities it would be safest for you to both disappear for a little while. As for the rest of us, we're nowhere near at risk the way America's favorite couple is. We will still be able to communicate through the secure monitors and consult you on all decisions. What does everyone else think_?"

_I listened as a few people agreed. Damien mumbled a, "Well, it's a start." I looked to Peeta to see what he thought about all of this. _

"_Do you really think it best for us to leave?"_ _I whispered quietly to him while the others around us continued to talk. He nodded without breaking eye contact. Truth be told, the stress of the community had taken such a toll that I had wished we could somehow disappear from it all. The idea that just the three of us could take some time away from the problems surrounding us was almost too much to hope for. I couldn't believe how easily Peeta had agreed to leaving. He must have been just as anxious to leave this all behind as I was. _

_Peeta turned to look at Finnick. "We'll go." _

Two days later we had established a short term plan of attack and were ready to leave. Finnick would take charge of a secondary review process while Damien and Thresh would interrogate Zeyer to release the names of all known gang members. If Zeyer was as high up in the gang society as we believed him to be, he would not only know his fellow gang members in the community but many of his enemies as well. It was still undecided how we would handle Zeyer by the time we left. Prim, Rue and Johanna were all banned from going to the community without another member of the group. Everyone decided that because of their past actions they would not be trusted to be in the community without supervision. After a little time, the girls begrudgingly agreed.

So we left. The first week was simply spent driving and resting. It was peaceful and much needed. Peeta had needed a lot of care due to his wounds and the van provided the perfect space for recuperation. We spent time as a family. We took thousands of pictures of Hope and recorded her laughter to send to the others. By the end of the week, Peeta was feeling well enough to make love to me again and I have to admit those were the times I was the most thankful for the van. The privacy was the greatest gift we had been given. We had settled into a perfect routine where we enjoyed all of our favorite things throughout the day.

"It's almost like a honeymoon." Peeta had said into my ear one night after we had made love. I had been lying naked on his chest while his fingers played with the loose strands of my hair.

I smiled against his chest as I thought about all that we had been through together and how we somehow managed to be better off than we were before. "A honeymoon, hmm? Do people usually take their children on their honeymoon?" I said teasingly as I looked over at the far side of the car where I knew Hope was in a deep slumber.

I felt his body shake as he chuckled. "I said almost," he replied teasingly. "Besides, one day, after things get settled and we sign that little piece of paper, after I announce to all of our friends and family how much I love you, after I undress you from a beautiful white gown and take the flowers out of your hair, after all of that, I will take you on a real honeymoon, just the two of us." Then he kissed me deeply and let all of the love we felt for each other wash over us.

I was jolted from my memory by the telltale crunching of Peeta's feet against the graveled path. I looked up at him as he came to sit down next to me.

"We woke up and wanted to see you," he said as he handed me our daughter. I gave her a kiss on the head as I took her into my arms. I shifted her over into my other arm so I could take Peeta's hand in mind. "What a beautiful sunset," he said quietly. "I'm sorry to say that it's one of the last ones we'll get to enjoy on our own."

I gave him a questioning look before he replied. "I just got off the secure phone with Finnick. He thinks that it is safe for us to come back if we're ready."

"Are you ready to go back?" I asked him cautiously. I had mixed feelings about returning home. I missed our friends and family, but this time together free from fear and stress was something I would never be ready to give up.

Peeta let out a small laugh. "I will never be ready to go back. This time with you has been…unbelievable," he said as he caressed his lips against my cheek.

"I was just thinking the same thing," I said before I kissed him lightly on the lips. "But…?" I prompted after we finished our kiss.

"But… it is probably for the best that we head back. Apparently a lot has changed in the community since we left."

"Really? Like what?"

"I'm not really sure, Finnick wouldn't tell me." He smiled at me.

"Ah, so he's using curiosity to bribe you back home," I said teasingly.

"That, and we only have about a week or so left of supplies. What do you say? Ready for home?" he asked as he cupped my cheek with the palm of his hand.

"No, but I'll probably get used to the idea once we run out of food," I laughed.

"Well, we have a few days before that happens and I happen to know the perfect way to pass the time on the drive back…" Peeta murmured just before he drew me in for a long deep kiss.

I had a feeling I would enjoy the drive back very much.

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**Stay tuned for the next chapter! Please remember to review and let me know how I'm doing! It's very much appreciated. Also please remember to follow and favorite! **

**Thanks! **


	13. Hope Haven

**Hey Everyone!**

** First I wanted to thank all who voted for my stories in the Everlark Smut awards! With your help I was lucky enough to take home an award in every category I was nominated in! Thank you! **

** I also wanted to bring something to your attentions. One of my favorite authors has not posted a chapter in months, I recently found out that the reason was a lack of motivation because she didn't feel her work was being appreciated. These awesome stories by talented authors are free for all of us to enjoy, as a small payment for their hard work they deserve a review of appreciation. **

**So I ask my awesome readers and reviewers who have been so good to me to make sure to share the love with EVERY Fic they read. The reviews honor the authors and motivate them to keep writing! It only takes an extra few seconds so don't forget! I am going to go back and make sure to review for all my favorite fics even the ones I missed! Make sure to just leave a quick post after every chapter before quickly clicking to see whats next it makes all the difference! **

**Thanks to my awesome beta, Katnissinme, and my fabulous devoted readers! **

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Peeta's pov

It was late by the time we finally pulled up into the safe house garage. Night had fallen and we were able to see the flickering lights from the community in the distance. Both Katniss and I were wildly curious to see for ourselves the changes that were made in the community. All we knew was that things were safe enough for us to return; other than that Finnick had kept the details quiet.

"_Trust me, it will be better if you both see for yourselves when I explain."_ He had said to me on the phone. That was two days ago, but we had gotten all the more anxious as time went by.

When the garage doors sealed shut I opened the car door and helped Katniss out. She had Hope in her arms. She had finally fallen asleep as we drove onto the property after being fussy all day. We think she could have a cold. It would be nice to be back in the house so we could ask Finnick and Annie parenthood questions again.

I opened the door and walked down the hall to the great room with my hands full of our bags and stopped dead in my tracks when I saw the state of the great room.

"Welcome Home!" Various shouts screamed out from around the room. I felt a smile spread across my face as my friends and family came to greet us.

"What the heck is all this?" I said as I accepted multiple hugs. The walls were strewn up with various different signs that read everything from "We missed you!" to "Don't tell us! Your pregnant again!"

They all overlapped on the wall underneath a giant banner that said "Welcome Back Mellarks!" Underneath it everyone had signed their names, including what looked like several hundred signatures from the refugees.

"What? You thought we'd just let you sneak in the back and then go about business as usual? We missed you! Besides, we had a blast decorating the place. We needed to wait up to make sure you would clean up the mess," Damien responded playfully. It was good to see my brother.

The air in the safe house had changed since we had left, I noticed as Katniss and I took a seat on the couch and talked with our friends. The atmosphere wasn't tense and somber but happy and warm, like the home it was intended to be. My smile remained plastered to my face as I took in all the other little changes.

Gale and Johanna had been friendly upon our arrival, but had since distanced themselves to the other side of the room as they listened to the conversation. Gale seemed happy enough, but Johanna looked like she had lost some weight and she wasn't making eye contact with the group. This was an interesting change for Johanna. I wondered what brought that on.

Finnick and Annie looked extremely happy but both looked tired. Finnick had dark circles under his eyes and they looked bloodshot. They must be tired from the long days they've put into the community, and I'm sure waiting up to greet us hadn't helped any.

Then there was Prim. Although still shy and fragile, something seemed to have altered in Prim. She sat close to us and held Hope on her lap while everyone talked. She didn't volunteer information, but she did answer direct questions. Her hair was a healthier color and her hollowed cheeks had filled out some. When she caught me looking at her she gave me a timid smile. I smiled back.

Rue and Thresh were on opposite sides of the couch and seemed to be avoiding each other, if that was possible. The only interaction they seemed to have with each other was when Damien posed the same question to both of them. I guessed there was still some tension left there from the family tribunal.

"So, will you please tell us about the community now!" I said to Finnick.

"Seriously, we have been dying of curiosity! Just tell us a little bit," Katniss chimed in next to me.

"Nope. We aren't saying anything until tomorrow morning when we take you on the grand tour. We have a whole day planned and we're not ruining tonight by talking about those plans. All I will say is that a lot of changes have been made since you guys took off."

"And not just in the community," Annie piped in cryptically.

Out of the corner of my eye I could see that Johanna looked slightly uncomfortable.

"Yeah…actually Peeta, Katniss, if you're not too tired, Johanna and I wanted to talk with you," Gale said, taking Annie's subtle cue, I assumed.

"So do Prim and I, but we can talk to you both after," Rue interjected quickly.

"Sure…" I said, unsure all of a sudden about what Gale and Johanna could possibly want to say to us that they didn't want to say in front of the group. Finnick and Annie said goodnight and headed for bed, but not before Annie gave Katniss another warm hug. "I'm so glad you're back," I heard her whisper before catching up to Finnick by the bedroom hallway.

"Yeah, I'm beat too," Damien said, getting up and stretching out his arms. Thresh hadn't moved. "Thresh, come on," Damien ordered when he noticed as well. When Damien and Thresh left the room, Rue got up with Prim and they said that they would put Hope in her crib and then come back. Everyone was clearly giving Gale and Johanna privacy to say whatever they wanted to say. I was more curious then ever.

When the room was completely cleared out of everyone else, I was surprised to see that Johanna was the one who stopped in front of us and spoke. She looked at Katniss and I before she cleared her throat and began.

"Welcome back… You guys look great…. Um...I wanted to thank you for everything that you both have done for me. I was always a straggler with this group and neither of you ever suggested that I leave. So… thanks. I wanted to…to apologize sincerely for putting you both in danger. I had been bought by a gang and knew a lot of valuable information that could have protected us[MB1] . I should have talked about my story, and I didn't. By not informing anyone, I allowed us all to be vulnerable to an attack and you guys paid the consequences.. so..yeah.. I'm sorry about that.

I was floored, and by the wide-eyed look on Katniss' face, so was she. I had never heard Johanna apologize and I certainly had not been expecting it when she started to talk. On top of that she had thanked us for including her. I was absolutely speechless. I looked over at Gale and saw the small smile he had on his face. He looked like he was proud of Johanna. This must have been difficult for her to say, so instead of making it even harder I made sure to answer for us quickly.

"Thank you, Johanna. Apology accepted. I know it took a lot of courage to say anything at all so we thank you for that, too." Johanna gave us a small nod before she gave a pleading look to Gale. I guessed he had put her up to this. Gale just nodded his head and Johanna got up and ran to their room without even saying goodnight. Gale laughed quietly to himself as she left.

"I also owe you both an apology. Peeta, Catnip, I never acted like a member of the team, but took full advantage of the perks. I'm sorry about that. I thought now might be a good time to explain some stuff I should have told you guys about a while back," Gale said. "Johanna is...well, she's a piece of work, but you guys already know that," he said with a smile. "Anyway, she is how she is because of what she went through before getting sent to Finnick and Annie's. I never really explained our relationship to you two, and I know I should have."

"Gale you don't have to explain anything to us, it's not our business," Katniss replied.

"No, Catnip, it is. We were close once, you and I, and even though I gave you a ton of crap about baker boy over here you haven't ever confronted me about Johanna and I appreciate that. See, about a week after you guys booked out of Finnick and Annie's place awhile back I went with Annie to pick up the refugee from district seven. You know, the one they told us about, girl who escaped and they killed her whole family and she got caught by peacekeepers?"

Katniss nodded slowly as she began to understand.

"Yeah, that was Jo. Anyway, Haymitch, that drunken idiot, just had his guys throw her on the train and by the time she got to America…," Gale shook his head somberly as he recalled the memory. "She was in bad shape, really bad shape. Prim and the pills bad, maybe worse. Annie and I took her to the hospital, got her fixed up, and brought her back to the inn. She couldn't sleep alone so I slept on the couch in her room. Anyway, one night I woke up with a hand covering my mouth and Johanna was standing there stark naked and..."

"Seriously, Gale, we don't need to hear about this," Katniss thankfully stopped him. I also had no desire to hear about Gale and Johanna's sex life.

"Right. Anyway, we were together for a little bit and that's when I learned about what she had gone through. I didn't know that it was at the hands of the gangs until recently. They made her their house whore, Kat. They beat and raped her. She was terrorized for six months before she managed to run away. They used her for bribery and blackmail against politicians to push the gang's agenda. She should have mentioned the gang threats earlier, but I'm asking you guys to give her a second chance. I know I have no right to ask you guys for anything after how I acted in the beginning, but I'm going to be obnoxious and ask you anyway. Johanna is like a pitbull, aggressive and confrontational on the outside, but she's just looking to be accepted. I spoke to her for awhile after you both left and she truly does regret her actions. We both do. So what do you guys say?"

The room was quiet while both Katniss and I took in everything Gale had told us. I knew that his speech couldn't have been easy for him to say and he had been thinking about it for awhile. I also knew that Johanna was a vey private person and it said a lot about her that she was not only able to apologize to us but she allowed Gale to tell us about her past. I shivered to think that the same could have happened to Katniss had she been given to someone else's keeping when she had been sold.

"Gale, of course. We appreciate the apology and the explanation. Tell Johanna there are no hard feelings."

"Thanks, man," Gale said. He seemed a little uncomfortable now that the moment was over. "We alright, Catnip?" Gale asked questioningly. When Katniss nodded her head Gale let out a relieved smile. "Okay, well, I said what I needed to say, so I'm gonna go to bed now. 'Night."

Gale gave me a hard pat on the shoulder and ruffled Katniss' hair in a sign of affection just as he left. Maybe I was still riding on my high from our month-long vacation or my good mood from our welcome home party, but Gale had started to grow on me. I might even say that a little part of me even liked the guy.

Katniss rested her head on my shoulder and I kissed her forehead as Rue and Prim came into the room. I had a strong feeling that the whole house had planned this series of apologies for us because they felt responsible for the attack in front of the safe house. I wanted to tell them that it wasn't their fault, but I figured I should at least hear them out first.

"I wanted to apologize to you both for not following the house rules and putting you guys in danger. It was irresponsible and I wish I could take it back," Rue said with a guilty look.

I didn't say anything. I just got up and gave Rue a hug. She looked truly sorry.

"We forgive you, Rue. Just please don't miss curfew again."

She laughed a little, clearly relieved. "I won't."

She gave a little wave goodnight and left the room as well. Now it was just us and Prim. My lovely little sister looked angelic in a short-sleeved blue sundress that brought out the sparkle in her eyes. She looked a little healthier than she had when we left, and for that I was thankful. She had been through enough.

"I can't really put into words what you have both done for me. You gave me everything and I selfishly hurt you… I promise to be better," she whispered quietly. Her sincerity touched my heart and I moved in to give her a big hug before giving Katniss a turn. The two sisters embraced each other strongly. Katniss gave Prim a little kiss on the head before moving to sit back down together on the couch and talk.

It was well past midnight by the time we were able to get some real answers about all that had changed over the past month, but over a plate of chocolate chip cookies and milk Prim finally filled us in.

"After you guys left it sort of turned into an us versus them in the house. It was like there were two different houses. Damien, Thresh, and Finnick all but refused to speak to us until we worked out exactly who was responsible for what. They exhausted themselves every day fixing the community and running the gangs out of town. I couldn't even look at Jo for the first week that you both left I had been so mad at her for not warning us. I got sad again from having no one to turn to. I know I should have told you both, but I had taken off the drug patch they had given me at the hospital so I wasn't medicated at the time. I also never called the therapist, I just pretended to. When you drove me to the city that one time I just hid in a coat closet for an hour instead of going into her office."

Katniss' eyes went wide and her nostrils flared at Prim's admission. I wasn't happy about this little fact either, but held Katniss back to let Prim say her peace.

"Anyway, Jo knew I had gone off the medicines so she was the one who found me and talked some sense into me. We had a big fight. We threw things at each other, called each other names, but at the end of it I was able to admit that I did need help and Annie ordered me oral medication so they could track my medications manually. Jo talked to me about her past and got me talking about Rory and everything I was feeling. We became…friends, I guess. After that we were able to admit that we were all responsible in compromising the security system the day of the attack, so we planned out the apology."

"And now you're feeling good? The medication helps?" Katniss asked her. Prim gave a small smile and a nod. "And the therapist? Have you called her?" Prim blushed and gave Katniss a guilty look. "Please, Katniss, I don't want to talk to a stranger." Katniss gave a sigh of exasperation and looked at me to step in.

"We'll talk about that more later. Nothing needs to be decided tonight. For now, tell us how you've been. Are you happy?" I asked, trying to ease away from an argument; after all, we had just gotten home.

"I'm not happy per say…but I'm not sad and that's a really big improvement." I nodded at her words as I remembered a time when not being sad was a big accomplishment. That was before Katniss, of course.

"So what happened with Zeyer?" I asked innocently. Apparently I had missed something, though, because Prim blushed intensely and her face imitated the same scowl I had seen Katniss use so often when she was uncomfortable.

"Nothing. Absolutely nothing," she said curtly. I looked at Katniss out of the corner of my eye to see if she was as surprised by Prim's reaction as I was. There was definitely a story there.

"It's late. We should get to bed. I'm glad you're getting back on track, little duck, I've missed you so much," Katniss said as she got up and gave Prim a hug. Apparently we were going to be avoiding the Zeyer conversation for the time being. I followed Katniss' lead and gave Prim a hug goodnight. As we walked down the hall to our room I whispered quickly to Katniss, "What was that all about?"

"I don't know but you can bet I'm going to find out." She whispered back.

The next morning we walked outside hand-in-hand, ready to face the world regardless of what it was about to throw our way. Last night had been good for both Katniss and me. We were both taken aback by the apologies but the sense of relief it left in the house was a welcome change. When Katniss squeezed my hand I knew she felt that way too.

Finnick and Annie had assured us that there was nothing to be worried about as they, Thresh, and Damien flanked us on our walk to the community. Rue was staying behind with Hope and little Finnie while we went to go see the changes that had apparently taken place over the past month. When we got to the clearing just before the entrance to the community a cluster of familiar faces greeted us. Gale was holding Johanna's hand while Prim stood on the opposite side of them.

"Alright, now that we're done with all the heart-to-hearts we really want to show you the community," Gale said looking excited.

I had to admit I was definitely more then a little excited, too.

Katniss' Pov

My heart was beating fast even though we walked slowly. When Peeta put his hand out to move the low hanging leaves of the weeping myrtle that would reveal the path into the community my heart stopped. What would I find in a few more steps?

I didn't have to wait long to find out. In the month we had been gone it was as though the community had transformed. Gone were the sad and broken refugees I had seen walking around. Instead there was activity. People bustled along the dirt roads with different wares in their hands to sell. The roads had been lined with pavers and landscaped with bright colored flowers. Small houses and shops had appeared on the road with a sign on the corner that read Main Street. Each shop had a different name: there was "Martha's Meats and Poultry," "The Yellow Lemon Fragrance Shop," and even a "Task Master Trading Post: For when you just need a lending hand."

In our absence the people had taken a bare outpost and made it a town. The Town Hall had been painted and an American Flag now hung proudly from its post. There were clothing shops, general stores, fruit stalls, and a booth for land loan information. The changes were outstanding, but what caught my breath was the moment I stood in front of the Town Hall sign, which read "Welcome to Hope Haven: The Town for Second Chances." I was floored, speechless, and overcome with emotion at seeing the transformation that had occurred in our absence. Just when we had given up on being able to make a difference in the lives of these people, they had decided to make a difference in their own lives.

"What? I…I don't understand. How is this even possible?" I said, flabbergasted at the sight before my eyes. Peeta was quietly chuckling in disbelief. His face held the same wide-eyed expression I'm sure must have been written on mine.

"Well, turns out questioning Zeyer went a long way in eradicating our little mob problem. The sheer number of members who were active in the gangs was astounding. The night after you two left we called another town hall meeting and announced that all gangs were no longer welcome and if someone was found to be affiliated with a gang we would be forced to turn them over to the American police as we could only assume they were responsible for the criminal acts that have been going on around the country. That week I would say about a hundred people cleared out of here. At first I thought that my little speech had worked and the gangs had decided to retreat, but Zeyer said that not only were Red Union members still in the camp but so were Tomahawks. Turns out, something like forty percent of all our refugees were affiliated with a gang."

"So we had to take action. We tried a bunch of different things. We raided the dormitories and managed to throw out another thirty people that way. We were able to really clean house, though, when we brought in some police officers. That's when our threats were taken seriously. Turns out neither gang leader wanted the cops too close to their people. Both leaders sent out a message that all members were to retreat to headquarters and abandon the community for the time being. After that, the camp cleared out another one hundred and fifty people. The next morning we went on one last surprise search of the area, combed the woods, tore up the floorboards, and we didn't find any additional signs of gang activity anywhere. It took us a total of two weeks to get them all out and another two to be sure they really left. I'll tell you this much, though, if there are any gang members left in camp they are lying extremely low."

"Regardless, the security measures will still apply and we've added additional ones while you were away. Everyone will now be getting a shocker to carry around at all times and no one ever goes into the community alone. We also installed a gate that's locked and monitor protected that closes off the community from our area. Most of them already knew the general location so we didn't feel we were giving anything up. It's an invisible fencing technology around our mountain so if anyone is snooping around we'll know about it before they ever reach us. "

"As we were cleaning up shop, it seemed that the refugees had some ideas of their own on how to really take this place and start again. We now have weekly town meetings where everyone can bring grievances and since then things have gone much smoother. The refugees asked to be called citizens and wanted to elect their own officials and a neighborhood watch. We now have a constable, a night patrol group, and a citizens council made up of fifteen voted in officials. They've so far done a great job getting things on track the way we all wanted them."

"People started to apply for land grants and small business loans. Turns out they were excited to move on with their lives and many of them really had come to the community to find peace. We trusted them, and this was the result. Shopkeepers, artisans, volunteer nurses, fireman, constables, it's really remarkable what the people have done. There are also plans for people to move out of the dormitories and build their own little farms and orchards on the border. They set up specialized construction teams and everything. There's even talk of making a new currency so they'll have a means to trade by. Oh and one more thing, they wanted to name the community, make it a real town, you know, somewhere to call their own. So after a heated town hall we finally came up with a name. Peet, Katniss, I know you saw the sign, but on behalf of all of us I wanted to welcome you both to Hope Haven," Finnick said with a wicked grin that showed off exactly how he felt about this entire thing.

They had accomplished all that in a month? I had thousands of questions swirling through my mind as I thought of all the changes that had been made in the short time I had been away. Before I was able to put any of them into words Peeta asked one of his own.

"Hope Haven? You can't tell me it's a coincidence?" Peeta questioned.

We had never told anyone outside of the family about Hope, so the fact that her name was written prominently across the Town Hall her parents had built could not be just a strange coincidence.

"Really? Really? Finnick shows you all this and that's the first question you ask?" Gale said with a smirk. "Anyway it was Prim's suggestion."

"They were insistent that the community, I mean town, have a name. They were all arguing about making sure it reflected the faith and confidence they shared about the future and that it showed that the place was an asylum from persecution, a place of peace. I just put it all together for them," Prim said with a little smile. "Besides, eventually Hope will get a huge kick out of knowing the village was named for her." I grabbed my little sister and hugged her again quickly.

"Come on, I want to take you guys to lunch. A refugee from twelve opened up Little Sae's Café and it has a delicious squirrel stew that I swear tastes just like home."

It did taste just like home, and each savory bite reminded me of my nostalgia for the past, my peace in the present and my excitement for the future.

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**Reviews are greatly appreciated! **


	14. Waited Long Enough

**Hey Everybody! Thank you for the kind reviews! It's always great to hear from you even if it's only a few words! Big thanks to my Beta Katnissinme for being a wonderful editor. Hope you enjoy!**

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Peeta's pov

"You son of a bitch!" Katniss yelled at me as she slammed the bathroom door in my face.

After we had gotten settled back into the safe house I knew that I had kept Clove's message hidden from Katniss for long enough. She had a right to know that Cato had escaped, so I stopped delaying the inevitable and told her. Clearly she wasn't taking it well.

"Stop protecting me already, Peeta, and treat me like your partner!" she yelled through the door.

"I know, Kat, it was wrong of me, I'm sorry," I said as I touched my hand to the door, hoping my voice sounded apologetic enough. Suddenly the door flew open, exposing a furious Katniss with fire in her eyes. I'm not usually afraid of my wife, but I had to admit that at the moment I most definitely was.

"You're sorry? You're sorry? No. Sorry is the first time when you think you're doing me a favor by keeping this kind of thing from me. But you can't possibly be sorry now, because you deliberately did it again, even though I asked you, made you promise me, that you would never, ever hide something like this from me again. But you did! Why? Why would you hold this back!?"

I didn't have a valid argument or a good excuse. She was right. She had asked me not to hold back information before and I had done it again anyway.

"At first it truly did slip my mind. I swear to you it did. I got the message minutes before Prim went missing. Then the attack happened and we had to deal with the aftermath. I was out of it from the pain medication for the next few days after my injury. By the time everything had calmed down…I was ready to tell you, but you just looked so…happy, and I couldn't bear to take the smile off your face. Not after everything you had to deal with. I really, truly am sorry. I regret it."

"Don't you lie to me and tell me you regret it!"

"Fine! How could I regret keeping something from you that would have ruined our time away together?" I replied too quickly. The look on her face made me realize that that was definitely the wrong thing to say. She began walking toward me like a hunter stalking her prey and I moved back slowly until I felt my legs hit the back of our bed.

Even though I thought I was being logical, it probably wasn't the best idea to tell her my feelings when she was so angry.

"Don't you see, Peeta? When you keep it from me you inevitably hurt me more. By trying to spare me you just hurt me." Her voice cracked as her righteous anger faded into hurt and sadness.

If there was one thing I hated more then seeing Katniss angry it was seeing Katniss hurt and upset. I watched helplessly as tears started to fall from her beautiful grey eyes.

"No, Kat, please. Please don't cry. I'm sorry, really I am. Please, honey." Watching her cry hurt me, but what killed me was that I was the one who made her cry. As a child, my father would always tell me that if I ever made a girl cry I wasn't worthy of her. As a kid I didn't really understand what he meant, until right now. I had no one to blame but myself.

"I know you're sorry, Peeta, but you know what? That doesn't cut it this time. Did you tell anyone else about this, or did you just keep it to yourself and hope it would go away? Are we trapped now? Hmmm? Nowhere else is safe for us anymore, and now it's worse than before because we have so much more to lose," she said as tears continued to stream down her face.

"And what's worse is that he knows exactly where we are! We practically invited the whole world to our home when we offered the refugees a place to go. We may as well have placed a giant arrow that said, 'Find Peeta and Katniss Here' on a map for him."

I couldn't take not holding her anymore so I closed the distance between us and wrapped my arms around her. When she didn't fight my touch and moved in closer I rubbed her back as she cried. It broke my heart to see her so upset.

"Kat, I'm sorry, but please have faith in me love. Faith that things are going to be alright. It's killing me to see you like this. Cato has known about our land since before the refugees ever came here. He's known since they burned down Annie and Finnick's place and found our address in the Purchase orders where she would send our supplies. Cato knew about our hiding place when you and everyone else here was still a slave, that wouldn't have changed. We came straight to the safe house when we got back and we're on maximum security right now. When we leave the house we always take the highest safety precautions. We made sure to learn from our mistakes. You can be mad at me, but please don't worry about our safety. Although I hope you won't be mad at me because every stupid mistake I make is because I love you."

She looked up at me with her glassy eyes and my heart expanded. I couldn't help it. I loved her more then my own life and just so long as she was in my arms things couldn't be that bad. I just needed to get her to stop crying and remember that.

When she gave me a shaky nod. I leaned my head in and captured her soft lips with my own. I immediately deepened the kiss as I felt the need to not only comfort her but also express how much she meant to me. As we continued to kiss a thought popped into my head.

"Do you know what today is, Katniss?" I asked as a smile started to spread on my face. She looked at me a little confused before she shook her head no.

"It's our one year anniversary."

She gave me a little smile as I watched her do the math in her head. "Are you sure? When did you even start counting that?"

"The day we met," I said to her seriously. When she caught my eye I continued. "I fell in love with you the moment I saw you, Katniss. You were so beautiful and strong, a real fighter, even though you were in a bad situation and clearly terrified. How could I have possibly resisted you?"

I pulled my fingers through her hair and watched as the emotions began to shift on her face from sad to nostalgic.

"The nude bikini didn't hurt either," I teased her. She laughed and hit me lightly on the arm before bringing her arms around my neck. I was thankful that this new topic had distracted her from our earlier fight. I hated fighting with her.

"Oh really? So you liked the nude bikini, huh? Is that why you immediately tossed me a t-shirt?" she asked as she played with the hair at the nape of my neck.

"I needed to show you how much of a gentleman I was," I said, a little breathless as I felt her fingers leave my neck and dip lower to trace the indentations of my abs.

"A gentleman, huh? Is that what you were doing when not even a full day later you got me drunk and had sex with me?" she accused, as she dipped her fingers into my sleep shorts.

I gasped when I felt her take my cock into her hand. "Mhmm, I couldn't help myself, and the drunk part was unintentional," I panted as she purposefully stroked my cock. I was so hard that it had gotten difficult to keep up a conversation.

"Well, I'm glad you did because I never would have had the courage to ask you for what I wanted while I was sober," she admitted as she bit down softly on my ear.

"And what was it that you wanted?" I whispered as I focused on her soft hand stroking my shaft.

"I wanted you to take me," she breathed against my neck before placing an open-mouthed kiss against my pulse point. The erotic touch made me moan out in pleasure. "Just like I want you to take me now."

Her words acted as my trigger and I grasped her hips and flipped her beneath me, instantly taking the control I craved. My mouth found hers in a passionate kiss as our limbs tangled in the process of discarding our clothes. I ran my hands slowly up the sides of her body, taking the time to frame her breasts before moving on to anchor my fingers in her hair.

"I owe you a rather large apology, Mrs. Mellark. I hope you don't mind if I show you how sorry I am," I said as I began to kiss my way down her body. I let my fingers trace every line and curve on the way down before I parted her thighs and knelt before her.

"You're beautiful," I said as I kissed her inner thighs. I was rewarded with a shiver from her body. I kissed my way around her, making sure to tease her the way I know she loved. When I heard her moan softly in frustration I gave her exactly what she wanted. As my warm mouth devoured her center I drew my tongue back and forth over her until she was crying out beneath me. I caressed her center and cherished the sweet sounds that rang from her throat. All at once she tensed beneath me and clutched my hair with her fingers, holding me to her until she slowly relaxed her hands to let me go.

I had her wet and ready beneath me so before she had even finished coming down from her first orgasm I pushed into her ever so slightly. I let the tip of my cock tease her opening, but pulled back when she tried to take me in further.

"Peeta, please. Please, don't tease me." At her words I sheathed myself fully into her warm center. Her folds clung to me tightly and the sweet friction of our joined bodies had me crying out her name in relief. Luckily, no matter what came our way, this aspect of our relationship only got better. We connected on a completely different level when we were together like this. I could feel her fears and soothe them away.

When I moved she moved with me until our bodies created a pattern that was so intimate and intense neither of us were able to look away from the other. I felt her second climax approach and held her tighter as the waves shattered over her body. As she finished she sucked on my collarbone, adding that last hint of pleasure I needed to push me over the edge. When I came it consumed my entire body. Once I had recovered, I opened my eyes and pulled Katniss flush against me. I loved her, and I needed her close and to know that I would never hurt her intentionally. On some level I needed to show her that I would be lost without her. I kissed her temples and her drooping eyelids before bringing her up farther on the bed and throwing the blankets over both of us.

I woke in the morning to columns of sunlight filtering in through the windows in our bedroom. Katniss' hair was spread out like a fan on the white pillow and on my chest. I looked down at her and tried to memorize the planes of her face relaxed in sleep. I didn't want to move from my spot and disturb her slumber, but I knew from the bursts of sun playing on the hardwood floor that it was already much too late to consider going back to sleep. I gave Katniss a light kiss on the head before getting out of bed. Now that Hope was sleeping through the night our routine had relaxed. I walked to our adjoining bedrooms and entered her nursery to see Hope awake and looking up at me with her big blue eyes. My big blue eyes. When I came into her line of sight she started to shake her little baby body and let out some soft gurgles.

"Hi, my sweetheart. Did you sleep well?" I cooed as I picked her up and nuzzled her dark hair. It was astounding to me to see how much she had grown in the past six months. She now weighed close to fourteen pounds and ruled with a tiny iron fist. Her face made all kinds of expressions and she was constantly trying to talk to us with her adorable baby sounds. No matter how much time passed, I would never get tired of my daughter. When she drew my thumb into her mouth I knew it was time to feed her so I headed to the kitchen to warm her bottle.

When I got there, Damien and Thresh were awake and sitting at the table. Rue and Prim were busy making breakfast. "Morning," I said lazily, coming further into the kitchen.

"Good Morning! Oh, Hope! Hi, baby! Peeta you know it's my turn to feed her today," Rue said, taking her out of my arms. I chuckled as I watched Rue and Prim fuss over Hope while they prepared her breakfast. It warmed my heart to see how strong of a support system Hope was going to grow up with and I was thankful for the peace that we had been lucky enough to live in since returning home. I poured myself a cup of tea and sat down at the table next to Damien.

When Damien asked me how my night was with a sideways glance I knew he must have heard Katniss' and my argument last night. I had kept the knowledge of Cato escaping from everyone for long enough, but knowing that I had to come clean to my brother didn't make it any easier.

"Yeah…about that. I need to tell you something." I lowered my voice so the girls wouldn't hear me. I didn't want to make them nervous.

"It's Cato. Someone helped bust him out of Clove's apartment. Clove sent me a message a couple months ago to let me know she was going after him."

Damien, whose face was usually adorned with an easy smile, sent me a death stare before saying in an even lower tone, "So what you're telling me is that our psychopathic brother is on the loose and his equally unstable girlfriend is out hunting him down? Oh, and that you've known about this for two months without saying anything? Peeta, have you gone insane? What is the matter with you?"

"Guys, let's take this conversation to a different room maybe…" Thresh murmured quietly. By silent agreement we all got up and walked toward the study where we bumped into Finnick.

"Hey guys, good morn..." Finnick started saying but cut himself off when he got a good look at Damien's face. I shifted my head in a gesture to follow and he did. When we reached the study we closed the door.

"You may as well fill him in," I said with a sigh.

I let my mind wander as I mentally beat myself up for not saying anything earlier. "Peeta? Are you serious? It's so unlike you to not say anything for so long..." Finnick asked me calmly.

"I know, right? Mr. Perfect really fucked up," Damien said. He was still angry, but at least he was able to continue joking with me.

"The question is, why hasn't Cato showed up yet?" Thresh asked out loud.

"I don't think even Cato is stupid enough to just show up on our doorstep without a plan. I don't even know if he's going to attempt anything. I mean, he must know Clove's looking for him he knows she's not the type to just let him go and let's remember the key fact that Cato is first and foremost a coward."

"A sick and twisted coward who needed mommy to do everything for him," Damien added.

"So what? You think he's not going to try something?" Finnick asked unsure.

"Not for awhile. He's weak – he doesn't have any connections ever since Clove shot his mommy in the courtroom," Damien said. When he mentioned our mother an uncomfortable silence filled the room. Neither Damien nor I had felt any maternal love for years, but it didn't change the fact that she was our mother. Damien cleared his throat before continuing.

"So… we just stay cautious and continue following our rules. No one walks around alone or without a stunner. Agreed?" I nodded my head, already lost in my own thoughts, when Finnick interrupted.

"What about your dad? Would Cato try to make contact with him?" Finnick asked us.

I hadn't seen my father in so long sometimes I forgot that he wasn't dead. Although, for all I knew, he could be. "Our mother sent him somewhere when we were kids. She told us he was unstable or something. We haven't heard from or seen him since we were kids, I doubt Cato went to find him," Damien answered.

"Alright, so stay vigilant. Got it. Do we tell the others?" Finnick asked, looking between the three of us. The silence that filled the room was almost comical. "Absolutly." Thresh responded.

"Alright."

"Alright," I nodded. Well, the story was out now. I guess all we could do was wait.

"In other news any of the women tell you guys yet that there's going to be a dance in town?"

"A dance?" I asked incredulously.

"A Holiday festival." Finnick nodded

"With dancing?" I asked.

"And dates." Finnick said giving me a pointed look.

"What are you looking at me for. I'm married I have a date…"

"You also have a certain blonde sister in law with an x gangster love interest."

"Who Zeyer?" I asked. Finnick nodded his head slowly at me like I was stupid.

I thought that all ended after the attack. She definitely screamed at him loud enough from what I was told. Plus she always avoided him whenever we were in town that didn't make sense…

"You really think Prim and Zeyer?" I looked around at everyone else in the room. Thresh had a sour look on his face but I imagined he was just thinking about Rue with her flavor of the month.

"Does Katniss know?" I asked. Finnick shook his head as if to say, "I don't think so."

I hated to think about what would happen if she found out and Prim hadn't said anything than an even scarier thought occurred to me. "Does Gale know?!" Finnick gave me a look that basically said, "What do you think?"I couldn't believe this, I would be chaperoning dances and making sure Prim wasn't dating. I think I actually might prefer to deal with Cato.

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	15. The Holiday Festival

**Must take this time to express my gratitude to all those who leave feedback in the form of reviews! I, like many other authors, are fueled to continue writing from the motivation we receive from our readers so I thank you for that. Special thanks to my beta, Katnissinme, for the straightforward feedback and always helping me improve upon the story! **

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Katniss' pov

"Katniss! Have you seen my silk ribbon?" Prim shouted from inside my bathroom. Tonight was the first ever Holiday Festival in Hope Haven. The townspeople had come up with the idea to celebrate all that had been accomplished in the past few months since we had rid ourselves of the gang activity, and the night promised to be one to remember. In honor of the occasion, I had told both Rue and Prim that they could get ready in my room since I had the "giant princess bathroom," to quote Rue.

"No, Prim, I still haven't found it. I told you Rue went to go look for it in your room," I shouted from inside my closet.

"Found it!" Rue shouted, running into my bedroom, holding up the elusive blue ribbon. Rue was only half dressed in my silk robe and had huge curlers in her hair that made her head look rather comical. All for the sake of beauty, both she and Prim had reminded me. Peeta, who had been banished to the reading nook in our room, sniggered softly as he read a book out loud to Hope.

"Don't you laugh at us, Peeta, you're the one who's in isolation for not telling us about Cato," Rue replied, in a tone not to be trifled with. Without paying him another glance she ran back into my bathroom to join Prim at the mirror. They were about to start putting on each other's makeup. Both girls were extremely excited for tonight, not only for the open street market and stalls, but also for the dance to take place in front of City Hall. Truth be told I was a little excited myself – it felt like years since the last time I attended the harvest festival in District 12. It had always been my favorite time of year, and this year would be that much better because I had Peeta to enjoy it with.

An hour later we were all dressed in our best new outfits. We had placed a special fabric order from Annie's suppliers and everyone got to pick their own colors. Annie and Rue taught us some new sewing tricks so we could each help design our dresses for the special occasion. Prim looked angelic in a Greco gown of white, silver, and gold cut into angles to show off the perfect symmetry of her body. We had woven jasmine vines into her hair that we piled at the back of her neck in soft curls that cascaded down her back softly. Her makeup was soft and shimmery and highlighted her delicate cheekbones.

Rue had put her hair up into an extravagant up-do with small pieces left loosely curled to frame her beautiful face. Her dress was a deep purple with light blue trimming she had bought in town from one of the shops that sold fabrics. She stressed how important it was to support the merchants, and I had to admit the aquamarine wool trim was all the more special because it had been handmade by one of the people we had helped.

Johanna came out in an A-line burnt red dress that cinched at her tiny waist. It was a color that was very fitting on her, bold yet feminine. Even her hair looked lovely, sleeked back and styled. Her eyes were done in a mixture of ashy colors that brought out their vivid hazel color to finish her look. She stood off a little to the side as everyone fussed over each other's outfits, separate from the group yet still a part of it. Ever since her apology to me I hadn't really spent much time with her, but she seemed to have mellowed out a lot since I first met her.

I felt a warm kiss press intimately against my neck and turned to see Peeta looking extremely handsome in his "country finest," as Damien had taken to calling it. Even after a year of being together, when he smiled at me he made my knees weak. I took a small step back to look at his attire more closely. Peeta, unlike the rest of us, was used to wearing tuxedos while his dates would wear expensive ball gowns with mile high heels. Since this was a group of poor Panem kids, a tuxedo at this festival would be out of the question. Instead, he was dressed in a perfectly tailored suit with a linen shirt open at the neck. He had a green pocket square that complemented my own dress folded sharply in his breast pocket.

"Katniss, you look exquisite," he said as he took both my hands in his and kissed me softly. "You're the most beautiful woman I have ever seen," he whispered in my ear. I blushed at his compliment even though I should have been used to them by now. My dress was forest green with a sweetheart neckline trimmed with cream colored satin. Annie had helped me with my hair, which I left down loose in waves that fell softly between my shoulder blades. I had never liked makeup. I had only had it on twice in my life, the first time was when I was sold into slavery, and the next was when Peeta's mother had kidnapped me to be a political prostitute. That might explain why I never took a liking to the stuff. Nevertheless, Annie convinced me to let her put some on me. When I looked in the mirror I had to admit that even I thought I looked nice. She had applied earthy tones to my eyes and added a little shimmer to my brow and cheekbones. Then she curled my lashes and added some mascara to them that made my grey eyes look especially vivid.

"You don't look too bad yourself, handsome," I said as I smiled at him.

"Alright! Alright! Is everyone ready to go? And remember, safety precautions please. Everyone keep their stunners and we only go in groups. Got it?" Finnick yelled to get all of our attention. Annie was on his arm and she too looked beautiful in a sandy colored silk dress that hugged her curves. Her hair was put up in an elegant knot that softened her face and drew attention to her peaches and cream complexion.

Damien and Thresh sat on the couch and waved us all off. They would be taking the first shift of babysitting duties for Finn and Hope. Peeta and I would be taking the second shift. We planned it this way strategically to make sure that Rue and Prim would constantly have a pair of eyes on them. We didn't want either of them sneaking off like last time. Prim seemed to have been doing better in the past couple of months but she still hadn't really been updating me as to her day to day activities. There was so much to do now around town that we didn't see each other as much as we did when the community first opened. I looked at her across the room standing with Rue and thought about how beautiful and grown up my little sister had become. She was really a woman now. I only realized I was staring at her when she caught my eye and gave me an awkward smile and wave, as if to say, "Hi, why are you staring at me?" It shook me out of the memory lane I had been traveling down and returned me to the present.

"Watch your step, love," Peeta said to me as we walked from the house and down the path toward town. As we neared city hall my breath caught at the beautiful twinkling lights that had been set up overhead. It was a magnificent display and just by looking at it I knew it would be a night to remember.

Prim's Pov

The closer we got to the festival the more nervous I got. Over the past few months I had eased into a routine that managed to take me out of my own worries. I found myself volunteering at the counseling center in town. I had originally started because they were so understaffed and overwhelmed with paperwork, but as time went on I found myself relating to many of the people who came in. I would talk a lot with others who had tried to harm themselves or were struggling with loss and grief. Over time, the magnitude of what the refugees went through began to sink in.

The unspeakable crimes they had endured rendered them survivors. They were a group of some of the strongest people I knew, and eventually I found myself opening up to some of them and explaining my guilt at causing my family pain, and the lingering sorrow of losing a loved one. It was only with their help that I was able to acknowledge that depression was a disease in my family history, and therefore I was predisposed to it to a certain extent. They stressed to me the importance of not blaming myself for my actions, and instead using those feelings to channel the good and move on with my life. Of course none of them were certified psychologists like the fancy American doctors they had wanted to send me to, but in a way talking to the refugees was a more effective therapy. We were bound together by shared experiences and were curing ourselves as a group.

There were days I could even say I was happy. We had begun slowly by making a list of things that made us happy. My top ones were Hope's laughter, family dinners and Katniss' happiness. From there it evolved into making sure we surrounded ourselves with the little things that made us happy. I was learning that happiness is a journey to fulfillment, not an end goal.

Of course there were setbacks. Nightmares and rainstorms were always invitations for loneliness to engulf me, but Rue helped me a lot during those times. And then there was Zeyer.

After the attack I had refused to speak to him. I needed someone to blame besides myself and I chose him, as unfair as that may have been to him. He didn't seem to blame me, though, and although he was permitted to remain on the grounds – on the condition he renounce all ties to the Tomahawk gang – he seemed to sense that I needed my space and never tried to openly approach me. Somehow though whenever I needed something he was always around to lend a hand almost like he was watching at a distance just waiting for me to need him. I could sense a strange connection between the two of us, and every time our eyes would meet across the way on market days I could feel a heated awareness course through me.

I forced my thoughts to the present and took in the town square through new eyes. Glass jars of every shape and color were spread out around the city center, their centers illuminated by wax candles. The abundance of colored light created rainbow patterns on the ground and an air of magic in the place. Although we were approaching winter, it was not yet cold in the mountain-filled coast town that was now Hope Haven. This allowed everyone to mill around with their finest dresses on display with no one feeling the need to cover up their creations with jackets or cloaks. From the dresses to the lights to the food and silken table clothes, color abounded to the point where the square was almost unrecognizable. Couples and friends laughed and danced around the space; their merriment was infectious and it brought a smile to my face.

"Look at all this, Prim! Come on, let's go meet up with the others!" Rue squealed next to me quietly. I looked over my shoulder to see Katniss and Peeta smiling as well, the same look of wonder apparent in their eyes as I knew was obvious in mine. I caught Peeta's eye and silently questioned if we could go off on our own. I knew that he was paranoid that we would get ourselves into trouble if we strayed too far away on a night like this. He gave a cautionary nod and mouthed the words "Not too far." Rue giggled and pulled my hand toward the crowded center where a makeshift dance floor had been set up. Both Rue and I had gotten friendly with some of the locals in Hope Haven, many of whom were around our age, and when we spent time with them it was almost as though we lived normal lives again.

My new friends oohed and ahhed over my dress, and I found myself embarrassed by all the attention. I looked over at Rue and saw that she was having no trouble taking the compliments and dishing them out in turn – it made me happy to see her in her element. She loudly suggested that we all go and sample the treats so a few minutes later I found myself sticking piping hot ginger men into my mouth and moaning softly at the taste.

"Good?" a voice asked behind me that made me jump. I turned to see none other than Zeyer standing a few feet away from me under the shadow of a nearby tree. I was dumbstruck as his presence had caught me off guard, and could only stand there and nod idiotically.

It had been over a week since I had seen him last; my memory from the last time we had met had startled me to the point that I had been avoiding him as long as I could.

_It was market day and one of the new shepherdesses had her hands full tending to her flock and selling her wool at the same time. I watched as a lamb broke from the group and started making its way toward the fields. I could see that the girl had her hands full enough as it was, so I ran after the lamb with the intention of returning her to her mother before anyone took notice. Just as I was about to round on the animal, some hundred feet away from the market, I watched a pair of strong arms scoop her up. The man's right arm was filled with a set of tattoos I was all too familiar with. _

_"Hi," I said a little breathlessly from chasing after the babe. "Hi yourself," he replied with a hint of a smile. "I'm glad I ran into you, actually. I've been wanting to show you something," he said as he began walking back toward the market to deliver the lost lamb. "Oh?" I replied, feeling silly at not having a better response. "Yeah, do you have a few minutes?" _

_"Well I, um, was supposed to...um..." I grasped for an excuse that would allow me to turn him down and still not appear rude. I watched him deposit the lamb back into its makeshift pen before turning to me with a saddened smile. _

_"It's fine, I understand. Not a good idea. I'll see you around, Prim," he said with a soft nod. I watched him take a few steps away before the need to go with him overtook my better judgment. "Wait!" He turned around giving me a questioning glance. "I can spare a few minutes," I said walking over to join him. I told myself I was going out of politeness and sheer curiosity. It had absolutely nothing to do with the pull I always felt in his presence, at least that's what I told myself. He smiled. "Great, I was hoping you would come see it." _

_We walked on in companionable silence for a while until we reached a small clearing surrounded by large spruce trees. About ten feet away was an open air barn that looked like it housed a couple horses and a few heads of cattle. Just beyond it stood a corral. "So, this is my land," he said by way of explanation. I shouldn't have been surprised to hear that Zeyer had applied for one of the land grants outside of town, but the comment still took me by surprise. He was really doing it, trying to move on and make something for himself. He really was breaking away from his gang ties. "That's great, Zeyer. When do you expect to start building your home?" I asked. I didn't want to ask if he was currently sleeping in the barn, as I knew the question was a rude one. _

_"My home is built, Prim. That's what I wanted to show you." When he saw the question on my face he simply said, "Look up." I looked up into the tree tops, where I glimpsed a sight that took my breath away. He had built himself a home in the treetops. "Come on and take a closer look." I followed him, awestruck by his creation. We ascended a staircase carved into the trunk of one of the largest trees until we made it up to the first landing. Inside was a small room that held a table and chair and coarse rug. A couple pairs of men's work gloves and some letters sat on the table while a pair of muddy boots were left neatly by the door. "This is the entrance so the rest of the place doesn't get dirtied up from working outside." I followed him as we ascended another staircase and a bridge. When I was able to catch my breath from the steep climb I looked up and let out an audible gasp. The room was enormous – probably the same size as the great room in our home – and was opened to the air on all sides. A large stone basin was nestled in the center of the room, which I assumed held a fire on cooler nights. Around it were carved pieces of wooden furniture with inviting animal pelts draped over the arms. Another table and two chairs overlooked the side that faced the ocean, and in the very far back was a privacy screen that Zeyer told me lead to the bedroom beyond. _

_"I know it's not much, but it's waterproof and it's got some killer views." _

_'Zeyer, this is unbelievable. I can't believe you did all this." _

_"Of course I did. You didn't seem to believe me when I said I had wanted a new start," he said, sounding a little sad. _

_"I believe you now," I whispered to him. When his eyes caught mine I saw his intense gaze and it rendered me speechless. The moment was charged with an overwhelming energy and I found myself wondering if he had done this for me. Zeyer took a cautionary step forward, and then another, until he was standing directly in front of me. I watched motionless as his eyes drooped to look at my mouth, and I felt the sharp awareness of arousal course through me. I wanted him to kiss me. I stood still as he slowly moved to close the remaining distance between us. At the last moment a bird made a screeching noise to one of its friends in the distance and it awakened me from my trance. _

_"I'm sorry," I quickly muttered as I turned and fled from Zeyer. I ran down the steps of his beautiful forest home and continued to run, hoping to make my way home before the tears took over. I berated myself over and over again about how stupid I was for allowing myself to be vulnerable like that while doing my best to ignore Zeyer following after me, shouting my name. I continued to run until I made it to the gate that separated Peeta's land from Hope Haven and ducked into the hollow of one of the larger trees on his property to escape being seen. I knew Zeyer would follow me to the gate, but after everything he had gone through with my family he wouldn't dare cross it. _

_I heard him mutter a "Dammit," and kick the dirt before slowly walking away. I remained in the hollow and allowed my tears to silently fall for the remainder of the afternoon. _

"I'm sorry about the other week," he said quietly so only I could hear him. His words of apology brought me back to the present.

"No! Um, don't be, I'm um, sorry I..." I stumbled while I internally berated myself for my jumbled emotions. He shouldn't be apologizing to me. I gave him every signal that I would be receptive to his attentions and then ran away at the last moment, probably leaving him confused as well. Now I couldn't even get the words out to explain myself. "Really, I'm sorry, I uh..."

"No need to explain." He cut me off mid-sentence with an easygoing smile. "You'd be surprised, but believe it or not I do get it. It's in the past, alright?" I nodded in relief at his ability to so quickly put the episode behind us.

"You look beautiful, by the way," he said. His voice was nonchalant, the compliment said almost the same way he would describe the weather. On anyone else it would have come off as just a polite requirement, but his face gave away how much he truly believed it. Before I had the time to grow uncomfortable he quickly added, "Everything looks beautiful tonight – the town really out did itself. This is nicer than anything I remember in Panem."

"Yes, I agree there's something special about this place all dressed up, magical almost," I said as I kept my eyes to the ground. I felt him nod more then I saw it. The band struck up a tune one that I knew well from back home. He must have noticed me swaying to the tune because he asked, "You don't want to dance by any chance, do you?"

"I haven't danced in a long time." Not since last year's harvest festival with Rory, I thought.

"Well then I guess it's time you should start again." He smiled and took my hand. The warmth from his touch shot up my arm, surprising me into silence before I could refuse. I guess one dance wouldn't hurt, and it was a fast dance anyways. I would have just as soon have danced with Peeta if he'd asked me. But Zeyer wasn't Peeta, I soon realized as we relaxed into the folk tune.

The song ended much too quickly for my taste, and I racked my brain looking for an appropriate excuse to bid him farewell. I had enjoyed the dance a little too much, so a second was out of the question. "Oh wow, this is a tune from my district," Zeyer commented when the next song began to play. It was slow. Of course it was.

I was about to say goodbye and walk away but Zeyer stood there holding up his arms in a silent question. My body responded before my head and I found myself in his arms despite the fact that I knew he was bad news. He was a liar and a gang member. _Not anymore, _my heart debated with my head. Before I knew it, I found myself relaxing into his warm embrace. There was something about Zeyer that drew me to him, a kind of energy that was extremely difficult to fight against. Zeyer spun me around slowly, our bodies swaying in time to the music and each other. I was happy. I looked up to find Zeyer looking down at me intensely; the look sent a shiver of awareness through me. The song ended and neither of us moved, each too afraid of what might happen if we started to speak again. Zeyer recovered faster than I did and placed his hand on my lower back as he guided me off the makeshift dance floor. As we were leaving I caught sight of Katniss and Peeta at the other edge of the floor, looking surprised and nervous respectively.

"Are you hungry?" Zeyer asked, getting my attention again. I nodded in response. I was hungry for the first time in a while. "There's someone here that I knew from back home, he's made chili. It was one of my favorite foods growing up."

"What is it?"

"It's a spicy stew made with meat and tomatoes and chili peppers. The recipe dates back long before the dark days." It didn't sound all that appetizing to me, and my face must have mirrored my thoughts. Zeyer laughed beside me and the sound was hypnotic. "You'll love it. Trust me," he said meaningfully, looking me in the eye. As we walked up to the booth I wondered if I did trust him, or if I didn't if I could with time. I still wasn't sure.

Intoxicating smells assaulted my senses as we approached the stall. "Sage! Happy Holidays, two bowls of chili, please," Zeyer said to the girl manning the booth. She was cute with an attractive pixie cut and an easy smile. As I listened to them banter I found unwanted strands of jealousy moving inside of me. _He's not mine, he's not mine, I don't even want him to be mine. _I chanted to myself. Every time I said it I hoped I would believe it more, but every time I watched Sage flirtatiously lean over the makeshift counter toward Zeyer I knew that I wouldn't be able to make myself believe the lie. When Zeyer went to pay, Sage told him it was on the house "for old times sake," even adding a wink at the end. It made me a little sick.

We walked away from the outdoor stall and sat down at a couple of stools set under a tree overlooking the dance floor. Zeyer handed me a bowl of the chili and watched in anticipation as I took my first bite. Despite the remaining bitter taste in my mouth from watching him flirt with that girl from his hometown, I had to admit the stew was _amazing. _ I let out a slow moan as I savored the savory and spicy bite.

"You like it," Zeyer said, a look of triumph on his face. For the next few minutes we ate in silence as we each enjoyed our dinner.

"You know this tastes just like it did when I was a kid. Sage's dad owned one of the only restaurants in town – no one could make chili like him. Turns out I think his daughter can make it even better," he said between bites. I tensed a little as he complimented Sage and tried to act nonchalant, hoping he wouldn't notice.

"How long have you known Sage?"

"Since I was a little kid, she's the best really. You'd really like her."

"I bet…" I bit back harsher then I intended..

Zeyer gave me a questioning look before he asked, "Prim, are you jealous?"

"What? No, of course not," I responded a little too quickly and defensively.

"Oh my god, you are," he said quietly, almost to himself. We sat in silence as he thought about the ramifications of what that meant. I was too embarrassed to say anything else in my defense and I was too worried that whatever I would say would only reveal more of my confusing feelings.

"So is she the one I should talk to in order to find out all your secrets?" I muttered bitterly, trying to fight through my embarrassment.

Zeyer's eyes widened at my comment. "Prim, I didn't think you wanted to know about me…I…you must know how I feel by now…" Zeyer said trying to meet my eyes. I wouldn't meet them. I sat there uncomfortably looking down at my shoes. When Zeyer's shoes entered my peripheral vision I slowly looked up into his eyes.

"Can we take a walk?" Zeyer said quietly.


	16. Let Me Tell You A Story

_**Thank you for the lovely reasons! Your feedback means the world to me! I want to thank to generous Katnissinme for betaing my work. I hope you all enjoy this chapter!**_

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Prim's pov

His playfulness from earlier had melted away to his usual serious tone. I nodded and stood to follow him as we walked toward the coast and away from the festival. We didn't speak until we got to the coast. By the time we got there, I had already come up with a few good excuses for my behavior. Zeyer spoke before I was able to use any of them.

"I've made a decision. If you're willing to listen, I am willing to tell you everything. I can't expect you to give me a fair shot when I keep hiding parts of myself from you. All I ask is that you wait until I'm done to ask me any questions. Alright?"

I nodded my head slowly. Was he really about to tell me about himself?

"I'm from district ten. That much you already knew. That girl, Sage, is probably one of the few people who would still recognize me, though. We had known each other well because my family sold meat to her family's restaurant. My parents were dirt poor sheep ranchers, but we did what we could, right? We didn't have much but we loved each other and I was a happy kid growing up. When I was around twelve, my father told me we were going to leave town. He said that where we were going was a special place and we had to leave in the middle of the night or everyone would ask us where we were going and we couldn't bring them to the special place with us. The special place was a secret place – he said it was called America, and we would get there by going through the old wastelands of Texas."

"I had vaguely remembered hearing about Texas existing before the final devastation, and of course I knew Panem was once America, but back then the magnitude of what he was telling me hadn't sunk in. Texas was a huge and dangerous land that was destroyed with most of the other parts of the country, and America was even farther away from that."

"Texas, the wild frontier, my father called it. He said it would be an adventure. He sold all of our sheep in exchange for three horses and some food. We didn't have any other family so we headed out in the dead of night without saying goodbye to anyone. We brushed away the horse tracks with large cypress branches before we jumped over the fence. After two weeks we had gotten sunburned and dehydrated, but I had never seen my parents so happy. They said that we could make a new life in America, one where it would be every man for himself. That was before we reached the river. At the river everything changed. We had camped on its banks that night, and it was then my father showed me the map. It was worn and tattered but it clearly marked where Panem ended and Texas began. There were areas circled in red that marked something called "Injin territory" and other areas marked in blue called "nuclear wastelands." He said that if anything should happen to him I should use the map and head south toward America. He said that Texas would be the highway to freedom. I didn't know at the time, but even then he suspected that we were being followed."

"I woke up early the next morning to my mother screaming. My father was running toward, us covered in blood. He screamed at me to take the horse and cross the river. We had been followed by peacekeepers, and they had already shot my father a couple of times. He shoved the map into my hands and tossed me on top of the pack horse. He told me he loved me and that I needed to make it to America before he slapped the horse hard, sending us straight into the river. I watched as he tried to do the same for my mother, but he wasn't quick enough. I had just made it to the other side of the river and into the brush when I watched them kill my father. My mother was screaming as they dragged her back to the district."

"So I headed south, terrified and miserable. Texas was horrible, not at all what my father had said it would be. There were no people, barely any trees and no signs of animal life at all. One week in I was dehydrated and ready to die when fate decided to intervene. Turned out I had stumbled upon one of the "Injin territories" marked on the map. Little did I know it was the Tomahawk headquarters."

I let out a slight gasp at what Zeyer had just told me. My heart was broken for the little boy who had to watch his father die only to fall into the hands of the gangs a week later.

"They were good to me. They cleaned me up and then said that out here it was every man for himself, and I would need to toughen up real quick if I was to survive. When I told them I didn't care if I lived, they said it would be disrespectful to my father's life not to. They trained me to be one of them. I learned that Panem was to blame for much of my family's suffering and I hated them. We discovered after a while that I had a talent for blending into surroundings – I was sure footed and quiet, so I made for the perfect spy. They sent me down to America where they had contacts that were helpful to our cause. When I got there, I learned that my job in the gang would be to keep tabs on certain individuals who still remained in Panem. I was just a kid, so I could go from district to district without anyone taking notice."

He took in a deep breath and then let it out slowly before he ran a hand through his short, black hair. "I kept tabs on a lot of people and reported back. I was sent back to my home district for a week in the beginning to let my mother know I was okay and offer her a place in America. It was my condition to spy for them. But when I got back to my district, I found out that my mother had been whipped for trying to escape and died a week or so later of infection. I got my first tattoo the night after I found out."

He pointed to a small yellow rose amidst the tattoos on his forearm to show me which one he was talking about. "By that point I had no one left, so I stayed with the gang and did their errands. I believed in the cause, believed in freedom for all people, even if I didn't always agree with the gang's methods. I continued to travel around Panem by jumping the trains. This one assignment brought me to twelve actually. Do you know what I saw there, Prim?" he asked, looking me in the eyes. I shook my head that I didn't.

"I saw a girl with long, blonde hair who was wrapping a bird's wing. Her sister sat on the porch right next to her, plucking the feathers off a dead grouse that I presumed would serve as their dinner. I had seen a lot of things in my travels around the districts, but I had never seen such a sharp juxtaposition in my life. The girl was skinny, frail almost, and clearly needed a good meal, but she was caring for a blue jay's wing as if she were saving a human life. I always stopped to check on the blonde girl with the long hair whenever I went to District Twelve. Every time I saw her she was doing something else that brought a smile to my face. She helped a blind man that everyone else was knocking around to a quiet place to rest, she took a handful of children to the park so their mother could get paid a few extra coins by doing the neighbors laundry, and I even watched her scold a peacekeeper for knocking over a pregnant woman on his way into the justice building. The thing about this girl was that you couldn't help but be drawn to her light. She was just so good and caring, everybody wanted to be around her. She kept an herb garden with dozens of different plants in cracked pots that could help supplement her families dinners. She'd use them to turn regular food into meals. Everything she touched it was as though just by touching it she made it special. One day I was watching her at school she was laughing and playing with her friends and she noticed me. She saw me standing on my own at the edge of the building and called over to me to come play with them. She didn't know me, had never seen me, but she was able to see even at a distance how alone I was and she wanted to change it. I looked forward to every visit to twelve because I knew that I would get a chance to watch her. One day when I went to see how the rebellion was doing there, I found out that the girl with the long, blonde hair had sold herself into slavery to save her boyfriend's little sister."

My eyes widened and my heart beat faster. Was Zeyer telling me what I thought he was? Had he seen me before coming here? Had he watched me in Panem?

"Haymitch Abernathy is your sister and brother-in-law's informant on the rebellion, right?"

When I nodded he continued. "I'm the informant who told him that you had sold yourself. I knew from the rebellion channels that your sister had made it to America and knew you wanted to be with her. Then, when the vote to free all the slaves came and the Red Union and Tomahawks needed recruiters, they sent me in. I was no recruiter, but I didn't want to give up the chance to see the girl with the blonde hair again. And what do you know? The very first day I walk through the gates of camp there she was, making identification cards and looking like she had been broken into a million pieces."

My breathing was really heavy now. Could this be? Had Zeyer saved my life before I even met him by alerting Katniss? And then he travelled all this way just to see me?

"You were suddenly the bird with the broken wing and suddenly I wanted to be the one to mend you. I tried to hide who I was in the beginning because I knew you wouldn't let me anywhere near you if you knew. Just seeing you would make my entire day, and when you actually spoke to me that was all it took. "

I was quiet for a while as I absorbed everything he had told me. There was so much more to Zeyer then I had ever imagined. There were still a lot of questions I wanted to ask but I made sure to calm down before I asked any of them. It had taken a lot for him to open up to me and it wouldn't be fair if I began to hurl accusations at him.

"If the Tomahawks helped raise you, why did you decide to leave them?" I asked him. If he had been with them for so many years then he clearly owed his allegiance to them more than any other Panem refugee that was here. If his story was true then he was never even a slave. It also made sense as to why he seemed to have such a higher rank than the other members of his gangs.

"I left them because I knew I couldn't stay with them and be with who I wanted to be with."

"And they just let you go? Just like that?" I asked, as I avoided thinking about who it was he wanted to be with.

"Well, no… They weren't happy about it, but I promised that I would owe them a favor in the future should they ever need one. On the condition that it didn't affect my life here, of course. They still need a trustworthy person who knows the ins and outs of Panem, so I had more leverage than the average member."

"I still don't understand why you would go to all of that trouble though… you must have been getting paid a good salary. You probably had some real pull in the gangs. Why would you give all of that up just to start from scratch?"

"Because I'm in love with you," he said to me quietly, "and I wanted to be someone you could maybe one day love, too." I immediately started to panic but quickly calmed myself down. When I let out a little incredulous laugh he looked over at me confused.

"No, you aren't. You couldn't possibly be," I said, brushing away his words. "You barely even know me.."

"You think I don't know you? I know that you _hate_ parsley. I know that your favorite color used to be yellow and now it's blue. I know that you have never come across an animal you haven't loved. I know you're gentle and caring. I know that you would help the world before you would think about ever helping yourself. I know that sometimes you feel like you're drowning in sadness but you put on a show so your loved ones won't be in pain. I know you, Prim and I'm in love with you. I stayed behind here for you, I built my home so you could come see it, I gave up the closest thing I've had to a family to stay close to you. You can tell me that you don't feel the same, laugh in my face if you want, but don't presume to tell me that I don't know how I feel. And if all that's not enough, then give me the chance to find out even more about you, please."

I sat there, speechless, completely taken aback by his declaration. My head was running in circles and my heart felt like it was going to beat out of my chest. A memory popped into my head of a boy with black hair and a worn shirt helping me up when I had fallen on the broken sidewalk. The same boy had seen me the next day and offered me wild strawberries. I remembered and I was speechless. Before I knew what I was doing I had molded my lips to his and had thrown myself into his arms. After a moment of shock Zeyer acclimated to my lips and caressed my mouth with his. I felt one arm grip me tighter to him while the other anchored itself in my hair, holding me close to him. The only sounds were the gentle cresting of the waves and the whispers of our lips caressing one another's.

In what felt like seconds but was likely several long minutes Zeyer slowly pulled away from my lips, making sure to placate me with several smaller ones. We stood there, on the beach, holding each other as our breathing returned to normal. Zeyer's fingers traced the bones of my cheeks as he gently brushed stray hairs behind my ear.

"You're really finished? With the gang? With everything?" He met my eyes and nodded before asking a question of his own.

"What does this mean?" he asked quietly.

"What does what mean?" I replied innocently, attempting to stall for an answer I didn't have myself.

"You kissed me…" he said, looking questioningly into my eyes.

"And you kissed me back," I replied with a small smile. I let out a sigh of relief when he returned the smile.

"Alright, no answers, for now. But on one condition. No hiding from me. You can't run off and get scared of what this means about your past."

I flinched at the implications that I would regret kissing him over my guilt about Rory.

"No, look at me – no shutting me out, Prim. If you get scared, come find me. Talk to me about it then. No more avoiding me, alright?" he asked, kissing my forehead gently. I nodded as I remained safely in his embrace.

"Will you answer me this? Will you be with me? Spend some time with me so you can get to know me, too?"

I nodded in response to his questions. Time was something I could give and it was something I desperately wanted to give to him.

"But Prim?" he paused to look into my eyes once more. "We will discuss whatever this in detail eventually, right?" he said smiling at me. This time it was my turn to smile back.

Peeta's Pov

I was exhausted from the dancing and all the heavy foods I had eaten at the Haven festival, but was thankful I decided not to drink tonight. By staying sober I was the only person in any position to go home and relieve Thresh and Damien of their babysitting duties. Katniss was busy taking care of Rue, who definitely had too much to drink, and was currently resting with her head in a bathroom stall.

I didn't want to leave Katniss, but Rue was calling out for Thresh and someone needed to remain behind with the kids at home. Technically Katniss and I were supposed to switch with them around this time anyway. So I headed back a little early to feed Hope and send Thresh to town to pick up his drunk sister. I chuckled to myself as I thought about the shade of red Thresh's face seemed to turn when I told him about Rue's little incident. He had bolted out the door without so much as a backwards glance. "I'll make sure he doesn't kill the kid serving the drinks" Damien said jokingly as he followed Thresh out. I laughed a little before I added, "And do me a favor, Damien? Check on Prim when you get there. Last I saw her she was with that Zeyer kid sitting a little too cozy under a tree for my taste." Damien gave me an "Okay" signal before walking down the steps. I watched him catch up with Thresh before I went inside, just as Finnick had done for me on my walk home.

After I checked to see that little Finn was sound asleep, I walked over toward the nursery and peeked in on my baby girl. I walked as quietly as I could over to her crib but my loud footsteps were no match for her sharp hearing, which she undoubtedly inherited from her mother. I peeped over the edge of the crib to see Hope looking up patiently. When I came into her focus she let out a bright, toothless baby grin that melted my heart.

I picked her up when her gurgles turned into indignant sounds. She was clearly frustrated that her daddy hadn't picked her up yet. When she was in my arms her happy gurgles returned as she held my finger in a vice-like grip. Her chatter had started a couple weeks ago and had become regular banter for her. She was a talkative little one, especially for a baby of not even six months.

After grabbing her bottle, I walked with her out onto our balcony that overlooked the ocean. I chose to feed her out here where the light breeze would be calming for her nighttime snack. The sound of the surf always seemed to soothe her and as much as I loved interacting with my daughter, I knew it would be best if I could get her back to sleep before her mother got home. I leaned my hip against the balcony wall as I swayed Hope back and forth in time to the sound of the waves.

I was so preoccupied in watching her drift slowly to sleep that I didn't notice the time pass or the sound of an approaching boat. I felt a sharp pain in my shoulder and lethargy quickly spread throughout my limbs. I quickly hid myself behind the wall, leaning my back against the cover and securing Hope to my chest with my arms. As I felt my system blacking out I attempted a scream for help. The darkness engulfed me before I had time to shout again.

Katniss's pov

"Peeta! Peeta! Where are you?" I called starting to get a little curious. My feet were killing me from the festival and my skirt reeked of vomit thanks to Rue. I had to admit that by the time I finally got home I wanted nothing more than one of Peeta's amazing foot rubs.

"He probably fell asleep, Kat. It is almost two in the morning," Gale said by way of explanation.

"It's true, Katniss, you know Peeta – he can sleep through anything. He's probably in your room passed out," Damien said with a yawn as he walked toward his own rooms.

I knew they were both right but I couldn't shake the nagging feeling in the back of my head. It wasn't like Peeta to go to bed when the rest of us weren't home yet. But Damien was right, it was late. Maybe he had fallen asleep while reading. I stayed quiet as I entered my bedroom, I didn't want to wake Peeta if he was asleep. When I approached the bed and found it empty I tamped down my panic. When I checked the arm chairs and sofas without finding any sign of him, I kept my breathing even. I went into the nursery only to find the crib empty and the rocking chair unruffled.

"Prim, I need you to help me find Peeta right now. He's not in our rooms and Hope's not in her nursery," I said, my voice taking on a slight note of panic.

"Of course, Katniss. I'll definitely help you look. Don't worry, we'll find him and I'm sure there's a perfectly good reason why he didn't hear us when we came in," Prim said quickly.

"What's the matter?" Annie said, coming out of her room.

"Katniss can't find Peeta," Prim replied. "Or Hope," I added. "Finn is okay though?"

"Yes, Finn is fine, he's still asleep in his crib," Annie replied. "Did you check the art room?"

"No, not yet."

"Well, let's spread out. This house isn't that big – we should be able to find him quickly."

Ten minutes later we had turned the entire house upside down without any sign of Peeta. I had started to work myself into a panic. "Where the hell is he?"

"Could he have taken Hope for a walk on the beach?" Gale asked innocently.

"No! Hope doesn't leave the house, that was one of Peeta's safety precautions!"

"Katniss! We didn't look on the balcony!" yelled Prim from down the hall.

Of course, the balcony! We spent every morning there, I'm sure Peeta couldn't get Hope to sleep so he went out to the balcony! He must have fallen asleep in the hammock. I ran back into our bedroom and took a sigh of relief as I noticed that the balcony door was open. I walked out onto the porch only to have my heart sink into my stomach. No Peeta. No Hope. But there, pinned perfectly to the hammock was a note.

_Dearest Katniss,_

_You are cordially invited to the Tomahawk headquarters for a strategic meeting with the Falcon himself. Your presence is requested no later than one week from today. We have conveniently left your guide in town so you may reach us in a prompt and timely fashion. Your husband and daughter shall be perfectly safe with us, assuming you arrive unarmed and without police escort. The Falcon is looking forward to your first visit. Please make sure to wear a sturdy pair of shoes as Zeyer will inform you that travel to headquarters can be rough this time of year. _

_See you on the homefront! _

_Tomahawks_

I felt the air leave my body and not return. A crushing pain engulfed me as I attempted to regain my breath. They took them. They took my family. My husband, my daughter, gone. Panic and fear began to course through me. I thought of them alone, unprotected, those who I love most. I crumpled the paper in my hand as I felt the aching sorrow switch to a different emotion. Rage. I would get them back. I would get them back and then make the ones who took them pay severely for their crime.

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	17. Falcon

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Prim's Pov

The cold mist that propels by us as we make our way up the water feels like tiny daggers against my skin. Katniss is shaking silently beside me as she waits with eyes wide open for us to get to our destination. I feel a small squeeze on my hand and look up to see Zeyer looking down at me. He lets go of my hand and wraps my hood tighter around my face with my scarf. He moves over to Katniss and wraps another blanket around her shoulders before coming back down to sit beside me. I can tell he feels guilty and is doing his best to be helpful. I am appreciative. The past three days have been productive but have taken a severe emotional toll on all of us. My guess is it's close to 4 am; it's always darkest just before the sunrise and I can see nothing but a vast array of black. The waters scare me, and I try not to think about the living world that is just beneath the boat. I can't even sleep, my mind has been running constantly replaying the events of the past few days.

_Three Days Earlier _

_"Zeyer! Zeyer! Where are you, you son of a bitch?!" Katniss screamed with a fury I had never seen in her before. She yelled so loud that I feared we would wake all of Hope Haven. It took exactly an hour for us to come up with a plan and to let everyone read through the letter. I had been slowly breaking inside, trying to keep myself together and not think the worst. Zeyer wouldn't do that to us, to me, not after everything he had told me last night. I felt my hands going numb but I stayed silent as I lead Katniss, Damien, Thresh, and Gale to Zeyer's property, the one he had shown me a couple weeks ago. _

_"Katniss? Prim? What's wrong? What's happened?" Zeyer said as he quickly climbed down the ladder that led to his tree house. His hair was pressed to his head from sleeping and his eyes were filled with concern. Before I knew what was happening Gale had Zeyer pinned against the trunk of a tree and was holding him by the throat. _

_"What did you do with them, you monster? I swear I will tear you apart you little fucking liar," Gale roared in Zeyer's face. _

_"Gale! Let go of him, you're choking him!" I screamed, terrified by what was happening. _

_"I swear I have no idea what you're talking about. Please, Gale, I swear I don't know what this is about," Zeyer wheezed out as Gale cut off his air supply. _

_Gale threw Zeyer to the ground and kicked the dirt where he fell. I dropped to my knees beside Zeyer and he turned to look at me, his eyes full of hurt and confusion. "Did you know, Zeyer? Please tell me you didn't know." My voice cracked on the last word. _

_"I swear, Prim, I don't know anything. What's going on? Will someone please tell me what's going on?" _

_"They took them!" Katniss spit out at him, the anger and hurt evident in her eyes. "Your scum of the earth brethren kidnapped Peeta and…" She started to choke on the words and I watched her breathing become erratic. "And who? Who else did they take?" Zeyer implored, the shock and fear evident in his voice. _

_"My baby niece, Hope," I said quietly as I watched Gale hold Katniss in a protective hug as she started to cry. She never cried in public, and the shock of seeing a crack in her armor had me suffering even more. Damien threw the ransom note at Zeyer and all was quiet as he read the note over and over again. His face was filled with shock when he looked at me._

_"I didn't know, I swear to you I didn't know. Prim, please believe me. I left them. I wasn't lying to you." _

_"Why should we believe you? You're one of a handful to give up the gang life. We were naïve enough to think they would just let you stay and that you would want to. You've been working from the inside all along!" Damien snapped at him. _

_"I wasn't and I'm not! When I asked to stay all of you gave me conditions. Far harsher conditions than you gave to anyone else, but I have met all of them. I can help you, but I need you to believe me when I say I played no part in this. I didn't have a clue."_

_Katniss glared at Zeyer. "And just what did you give __them__ that they just let you walk away?" _

_He took a deep breath before answering, looking at me instead of Katniss. "I promised I would do errands for them. Spy like I did before and give up all my earnings on the condition they didn't ask me to do anything illegal or spy on you. I assumed they would send me back up to Panem to continue doing some reports for the rebel movement. Same as I was before." _

_"I believe you," I said next to him in a small voice. I couldn't question my trust in him, not again. Not after everything we had discussed earlier tonight. I had to believe him this time, and if I was wrong then I would just have to be wrong. _

_Zeyer looked at me with gratitude shining in his eyes. My words must have given him some courage because he continued, "I have not lied to you since leaving the Tomahawks and I have followed every rule. I gave up every name I knew of, I turned over almost all of my previous possessions and I have been paying you retributions for crimes I didn't commit, something you asked of no one else. I have acted as a night guard and an errand boy for you and I have proven my commitment to change. I know I did not earn your trust in the beginning but I am trustworthy now. Please." _

_"God dammit, I believe him, too," Gale said._

_"His name is in the fucking note as our guide!" Damien yelled back at Gale._

_"That's because I know where headquarters is. I grew up there, been there and back dozens of times. I can take you there."_

We had packed up and had a fast discussion about who would come and who would stay. In the end it was decided that Finnick, Annie, Baby Finn, Johanna, Thresh and Rue would stay back. It was hard having to split everyone up but it was necessary.

I must have fallen asleep because I soon woke up and had to squint to keep the sun from my eyes. My head was on Zeyer's shoulder and when he noticed I was awake he gave me a warm smile. We were still holding hands.

"Good morning," he said sweetly.

"Good morning. What time is it?"

"A little after five I want to say. We'll be docking in about a half hour. From there the journey takes about 8 hours walking by foot. You should go get cleaned up now and have some breakfast."

I nodded my head and turned toward him. "Where is everybody?"

"They went to eat or get changed. Gale is still sleeping on the couch downstairs. Damien is in the galley getting the rest of the food ready."

"Did you sleep at all?" I asked him. He looked exhausted and his eyes were bloodshot.

"Here and there, I guess. I had a lot on my mind."

"Do you want to tell me about some of it?"

"I would love to, but a lot of it I can't tell you about until you meet the Falcon. There are things I'm really not allowed to say."

"I'm worried about Peeta and Hope," I said to him quietly. I thought that if I volunteered some of my fears maybe he would be a little freer with his.

"You shouldn't be. I can't imagine the Tomahawks hurting them purposefully; they're innocent in all this. The kidnapping was strategic; I'm more worried about why they needed to be kidnapped in the first place. They wanted to lure Katniss into Texas for some reason."

"Why do you think the Tomahawks won't hurt them? Aren't they a gang? Isn't that what they do?" I asked getting a little angry.

"Not every gang hurts people for the sake of hurting them. Truth be told, most gangs don't purposefully hurt innocent people. A lot of the reasons people get hurt are if they disobey or anger the gang in some way. The pain is brought to that person as a warning to everyone else about the power of the gang. The Tomahawks are not a terrorist group, they're a rebel group with a mob structure since they are also a business. Did you know the Tomahawks are the primary funders of the Panem rebellion?"

When I didn't answer he continued. "They are the main sponsors behind most of the people training in Washington County right now. If you were to ask the Tomahawks, they would believe that they have done nothing wrong, that they are simply taking advantage of the flawed American system and using it for the greater good."

"Is that what you believe?" I asked wearily. I didn't like the phrase "the greater good," since every time I heard it used something bad usually followed.

"I used to," he said decisively. "I grew up believing in that, and I had seen so many people suffering all across Panem, that 'the greater good' made perfect sense to me for a very long time. That was until I met your family. They seemed to be able to make a difference while keeping things legal at the same time, and for the first time I had a different model for change to compare with the one I had always known. While I understand the Tomahawk's perspective, I now feel like there might be a middle ground, one where you don't necessarily have to sacrifice the happiness of others to achieve your goals."

"For what it's worth, I think it was really brave of you to leave the life you knew. I'm not so naïve that I haven't realized that you could have very easily fallen into the category of someone who has upset the gang. You took a big risk leaving."

"That's one of the reasons I knew I would still have to offer my services to the gangs in addition to giving up my profits. By giving up my profits I was essentially paying my way out, and by offering them additional services I made sure that if there was ever anything they really needed they wouldn't feel the need to hurt or threaten me to get those services. They could just ask. As for being brave, well I don't know about that, but coming from you that means a lot. I've always thought of myself as a coward. I never had it in me to be a fighter. I would always stick to the shadows. So, thank you for the compliment."

"Don't mention it," I said as I playfully thrust my shoulder against his. He smiled at me before moving a strand of hair from my face. When his fingertips grazed my cheek the air between us turned electric.

"Prim, I…" I never knew what he was going to say because before he could finish I captured his lips with mine. He eagerly returned my kiss and brought his hand to fully cup my cheek. I pressed against him, fueled by the need to be closer to him, and felt him wrap his arm around my waist to pull us tightly together. The moment was heated with a passion I hadn't felt in a long while, but before I could follow the feeling a loud cough sounded behind us.

We pulled away quickly, embarrassed to have been caught. We hadn't been together long and I hadn't broached the subject with any member of my family, although I'm sure a few of them had their suspicions. I turned around to see Damien with a raised brow giving me _that_ look.

"Breakfast is up. Prim, you're not very good at this whole secret relationship thing, are you? And Zeyer, you might want to consider going to take a cold shower quickly before Gale wakes up and beats the shit out of you. Just a thought." I heard him snort a laugh and shake his head as he walked away. I would have been furious if I wasn't so mortified.

"He's right. I'm going to go get cleaned up. I'll meet back up with you soon," Zeyer said, a note of sadness evident in his voice.

"Zey.." I said apologetically. I didn't know if he was upset about Damien's comment regarding Gale or the fact that I was clearly embarrassed, but obviously the moment was definitely over.

"No, Prim, don't worry about it. Really. He's right," he said as he got up. I got up, too, making sure to follow after him. I didn't want him to be upset. Damn Damien and his big mouth.

"Zeyer, please, it's more complicated than that. Don't be upset," I gently pleaded with him.

He looked like he was going to say something and then gave me a polite nod before walking off. I probably should have followed him but at the same moment I heard Katniss call me.

"Hey! You're up. You coming to eat?" she said, her voice clearly strained with false enthusiasm. I hesitated for a moment before I turned toward my sister. The signs of anger, fear, and stress had taken a toll on her face.

"Yeah, I'll be right over," I said before walking over to her. Out of the corner of my eye I could see Zeyer disappearing behind the bathroom door.

After what felt like days, but in reality was only several hours later, I felt like I was walking through hell. It was hot and humid and there was an acidic smell in the air. I had run out of water about an hour ago and was too embarrassed to ask anyone to share some of theirs. To make matters worse, Zeyer hadn't spoken to me since we were on the boat and I knew that I needed to talk to him. The only problem was that I couldn't speak to him without my family hearing that we were together, and I wasn't ready to deal with all that inevitable drama. Especially right now, when there were clearly more important issues we needed to tackle.

I wasn't watching where I was going and kicked the dirt a little too hard in the wrong direction. Suddenly I heard a snake hiss and a rattle noise begin and felt myself being pushed out of the way. When I looked up, Zeyer had beheaded the snake with a sharp stick.

"A rattler. They're poisonous – you might want to be more observant going forward." His comment wasn't malicious and it didn't even sound angry. To everyone else it sounded like he was just giving information. I knew better, though, and I could tell there was a hidden meaning somewhere in his words. I just didn't feel up to decoding it at the moment. He might be used to the heat and poisonous creatures, but I sure wasn't.

"Thanks, I'll do that," I muttered quietly as I picked up the pace and passed him. I was too caught up in my thoughts to hear Katniss shout.

"What is that up ahead? Zeyer is that it? Is that the headquarters?"

"That's it. That's the house."

Katniss' POV

We approached the weathered house and climbed the porch. A man with greyish skin looked up and spit off the side of the railing.

"Oh good, ya came. Boss is ben espectin' to talk to yah."

"I refuse to talk to anyone until I see my family," I replied indignantly.

"You're not really in a position to make those kinda demands right now, Sweetheart." The front door swung open and there, standing in broad daylight, was a face I hadn't seen since Jackson county. Haymitch Abernathy.

"Holy shit," Gale cursed behind me.

"You?! You're the Falcon?" I yelled at him.

"You really think I would have dragged you out to god forsaken Texas if I wanted to have a chat with ya? No, I ain't the Falcon, but at the end of this you're going to wish I was. I just finished up a meeting with him, as a matter of fact. Go on inside."

I pushed past him. I didn't care if I knocked the bastard over on my way inside. I was getting this meeting over with and getting my family home.

"Where are they? Peeta! Peeta!" I cried out as I walked into the house, Damien approaching fast behind me. It was completely empty save for some wooden stools and an old table with a burnt out candle melted into its center. I felt a hand on my arm and turned slightly to see Zeyer.

"They'll be downstairs." I looked in the direction he showed me to see an old wooden staircase descending into what I could only assume was a basement. I walked down them slowly, some of my bravado having left me when I opened the door to find the interior of the house empty. As we made our descent, the house transformed from old, shaky and decrepit into something different, warmer and more welcoming. Two large doors stood before us and in front of them another man sat in a recliner.

"Well I'll be, Zeyer, you pulled it off!" Zeyer tensed beside me. He shot the man in front of us a murderous glare.

"You know I don't work with you anymore. Now just move aside and let the lady see the Falcon and her family."

"Alright Zeyer, shit, no need for the hostility. I'm just pokin' around. I'll let the boss know you're here."

He went through the double doors and Zeyer immediately followed, waving us all to go in. The room was large and cool with a bunch of different sections.

"Katniss!"

I heard him before I saw him and before I knew it I was running at Peeta and he had lifted me up into his arms and our lips locked in a loving caress. I tasted tears and realized they were my own. My body was shaking with the relief of finding him here and unharmed. I pulled away from him to run my hands up and down his face and arms to make sure he was indeed okay. When I assured myself he was fine I still couldn't stop the tears and he just smiled and crushed me to him.

He slowly kissed the tears from my cheeks and ran his fingers through my tangled hair. "I missed you like crazy," he said against my lips before taking them again with his own. When I was able to calm down enough I asked the most important question.

"Where's Hope? Is she okay? They didn't take her did they?" I knew the fear was evident in my face and voice and Peeta quickly answered me.

"She's okay. She's right here, come." He put me down and took my hand in his, leading me over to a sitting area in the corner with some bookshelves and strangely enough a small bassinet. I looked inside and there was Hope. When she saw my face she let out a large squeal and started smiling and laughing. I quickly picked up my daughter and held her close to me, the tears rushing right back to the surface. I kissed her head and her face while I cried and I felt Peeta wrap his arms around us both and kiss my head.

"I don't understand. Is she okay? Has she been with you the whole time? What has she been eating?" I asked Peeta, completely out of sorts but no less relieved to find that they were both safe and unharmed.

"She's been great. She's missed you but she's been well fed. They've had formula for her and they haven't tried to take her from me. They've given us our own room here and I have mostly free rein. They kept an electric ankle band on me to make sure that I didn't try to leave and get back to you. "

"But why? Why are they being so accommodating, I don't understand? What did they want with me anyway?"

"Right, so that's the thing, Kat. There's something you really need to know. It may come as a shock but the Falcon is…"

Peeta didn't finish the sentence because at that moment another set of doors burst open and my heart stood still.

"Kitty Kat!? Is that really you?"

My mouth went dry and I felt like I was going to pass out.

"Holy Shit," I heard Gale mutter behind me.

_"DAD?"_

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**_Katniss's father is the falcon! What do you think? Let me know with a review! _**

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	18. The Falcon Speaks

**Thankyou so much for all of your patience with this chapter I wanted to make sure that I could answer as many questions as possible while keeping the story going strong. A Big thanks to my Beta, Katnissinme for her help and I special thanks to all my readers who left reviews and positive feedback for me! Please enjoy! **

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"Dad?"

Dad,

Dad,

Dad,

As in my father, as in Daddy, as in my best friend until he was ripped from me at age 11, or so I thought. Not dead. Alive.

Is the

FALCON?

The room was spinning and my breathing quickened. It didn't feel like I was taking enough air into my lungs. He was still talking to me but I couldn't hear anything over the noise of the blood rushing through my head. I tried to swallow but my mouth was dry. All the moisture seemed to have moved to my eyes. Prim was hugging him and crying but he was still looking right at me. He stretched out his hand but I took a step back for some reason. I felt a pair of hands grip my shoulders and I turned to stare into Peeta's blue eyes. They centered me. He was slowly inhaling, holding it in, and then exhaling. I understood what he was doing and I mimicked his breathing. Holding in my breath was difficult at first as my heart rate adjusted and my mind and body worked together to calm me down. I kept my focus on Peeta's eyes. I felt him lift Hope from my arms and gently pass her to Damien. He must have been worried that I was going to pass out.

"That's it, Katniss. You got it. Good," I heard him say quietly when I was calm enough to focus on his words. He moved his thumb up to wipe the tears from the corners of my eyes before moving his hand to smooth my hair down.

"I told you. She really hates surprises," he said over my shoulder. To the Falcon. To my father.

I took in another deep breath and held it before I turned around. I didn't want to let anyone else see the surprised tears that had slipped out. Prim still had her arms around our dad and I could hear her asking questions as she sobbed against his shoulder.

"Why didn't you tell us? Have you been here all this time?"

She didn't have nearly as many questions as I did and they weren't half as invasive but I listened for his answers anyway. The multitude of emotions that coursed through me made it difficult to think clearly. The warmth of Peeta's hand in mine helped me focus more clearly on what I was feeling.

I was shocked, angry, elated, confused, overjoyed, saddened, and they all hit me at once. I struggled to calm my racing heart. I wondered which emotion would lead me in this surreal conversation.

"Katniss?" my father questioned quietly, trying to get my attention.

The likeness between us was uncanny, even now. He had not changed much in the ten plus years since I had seen him last. There was some grey at his temples and some gentle wrinkles along his brow, but he was otherwise unchanged. For some reason this made me angry. He wasn't incapacitated, maimed, or handicapped in any way – nothing to explain what had kept him from returning to us. On the contrary, he was the perfect image of health.

"How could you?" I questioned as I stepped in front of Peeta toward my father. I didn't let go of his hand though. As many emotions as I was feeling toward my father, the relief of having Peeta beside me was too strong for me to let go of him.

It was silent as my father heard what was not said in my question. There were a multitude of unspoken accusations. _How could you leave us for ten years and let us believe you were dead? How could you leave our family to starve? How could you leave me to pick up the pieces? How could you take my husband and daughter from me? How could you be the leader of an infamous gang when you have always been my idol? _

My question surprised him but his answer surprised me more. "I had to get you out of America for a little while, there are things you need to know about." After the surprise wore off his answer made me angry, incredibly angry, furious.

"There are a lot of things I need to know, the question is why you waited ten years to tell me and why you felt the need to take my family from me in the first place! Had I known you were alive beforehand I wouldn't have needed an excuse to come here!" I briefly heard the shudder in my voice. I would not let tears fall again, not in front of him. I needed his answers first.

"You're right, darling, I have not been fair to you. I regret not coming to you sooner, but you have to know that I was never in the position to travel back to you. It was too dangerous to make contact. I always tried to look out for you both though, and your mother, just ask Zeyer. As for taking your family here as ransom, I knew you would never willingly separate from them and I didn't know if you would voluntarily take your child away from the safety of your home just to see me, but I needed to get you away from that filthy country so we could speak."

My mind buzzed with the information he was telling me. He couldn't come back to Panem but he looked out for us. I turned to Zeyer with a sharp gaze. Why would he know that my father was looking out for me? Unless…

"You looked out for us didn't you, Zeyer? Spied on us? My father sent you back into Panem alone when you were no more then a kid yourself to make sure his family was doing okay without him, right?" Zeyer answered me with a quiet nod and a downcast expression. He could see that the news did not bring me relief, it only made me more upset.

Upon seeing Zeyer's answer Prim stepped away from dad and took a step towards him. There was a question in her eyes and something else. It almost looked like she was piecing something together; maybe she was trying to remember him.

"And what did you have him do, dad? Besides ease your guilt by making sure we were all still alive? Did he report to you that Prim and I lost so much weight in the first few months you were gone that we had to spend some of our hard saved money on rope to hold our clothes up? Did he tell you that we were eating boiled water and mint and calling it soup? Or am I being completely dense here? Do I have you to thank for the crumbs I dug out of the baker's trashcans that first year? Tell me!"

Prim flinched a little at my accusing questions. She knew some of what we had gone through but not all of it. I had tried to keep her as sheltered as possible. It hurt to think about how much we suffered that first year. How much we needed him. I needed him. I hurt to think about why he had to flee the country in the first place.

"It was for your miserable rebellion, wasn't it? The reason you left us? You got caught plotting against the government and they were going to kill you. Tell me, is Gale's dad hiding out with you here as well, or did he actually die in a mining accident? I'm sure Gale and his mother would love to know!"

Out of the corner of my eye I saw Gale with his eyes wide. A shred of hope and fear loomed in them and I realized that he had never thought that his father being alive was a possibility.

"Is he?" Gale asked quietly letting a little hope creep into his voice.

"Hawthorne unfortunately was killed in the mining accident. The one we pinned my death in that enabled me to escape. He was a brave man and yes, we both fought in the rebellion together." Gale averted his gaze and locked his jaw at the news but made no move to leave. As I heard the confirmation it was another blow to the chest. Almost as though we had lost Mr. Hawthorne all over again. I felt guilty for even bringing it up. Gale's father never would have left his mother alone with so many children to raise; no, that bragging right went to my own father.

"I regret risking the family's safety for the rebellion, but at the time I thought it was worth the risk to give you and Primrose a brighter future. It kills me every day to think about how much you had to suffer that first year without me. And your mother…it breaks my heart knowing that I hurt her. I wanted more out of life for all of you. I wasn't strong enough to check on you that first year, and then, when Zeyer showed up, he was just a boy, around your age Kitty, but I sent him anyway. I wanted to make sure you were both okay."

"Whoa. You've had Zeyer spying on us for ten years?" Prim turned to Zeyer and looked at him askance. She had pulled herself fully away from our dad now and was looking wide-eyed at Zeyer also.

"Prim, I.." Zeyer started, only to be cut off by dad unintentionally.

"He didn't just spy on you for me. He looked after Gale's family as well. When Zeyer told me that both you and Gale were attempting to hunt in the forest, I had him make sure you met up with each other so you could work together. Zeyer broke branches and crackled leaves in an attempt to lure Gale right to the clearing where you met. I would have sent everything I could to you at the time, but I had nothing to send so I had to settle on helping you get by as best I could."

"That was you?" Gale asked. The expression on his face looked as though he was reliving that time all over again just as I was.

I was taken aback to hear that my father played a part in my life even when he was gone. I had always hawked it up to fate that Gale and I had met in the woods that day. A small piece inside me that had broken when I heard my father had died healed now, hearing how he loved us all this time and tried to help us when he had nothing else to give. But that didn't excuse the fact that his death altered my entire life. Definitely didn't excuse the fact that my mother is still grieving him to this day, in a mental institution no less, still trapped in Panem. How much would life have been different if I knew my father was still alive?

Before I was able to ask any more of my never ending list of questions my father continued. "I promise to answer everything I can and more, but let's sit first, get you something to eat and drink. It was a long journey and you must be tired." A protest was already on the tip of my tongue but Gale let out a faint, 'Thank God," and was already moving toward the table in the back of the great room.

I was surprised to see that other men and women had joined us in the great room while we were having our little family reunion. A woman with keen eyes and greying hair nodded at me as she set down deerskin pouches that I assumed were filled with water. I walked a little slower then everyone else to the table, still lost in my thoughts. The feel of Peeta's lips against my forehead brought me back to the present. He then moved his mouth to my ear and spoke to me in whispered words.

"I'm sorry about all of this. I wish I could have protected you. Anything you need though, I'm right here, alright?" I nodded my head and moved my face so our lips could align for a brief, meaningful kiss. Damien popped over to us with my baby girl in his arms.

"I'm more then happy to keep her with me, but since it doesn't look like you're going to collapse did you want your daughter back?" he asked with a slightly amused expression. At least someone around here was getting some entertainment out of this whole scenario. I nodded my head at him purposefully and reached out for my daughter again. I brought her closer to me and instantly felt better. Peeta had put one arm against my back protectively as we walked toward the others in the back. Out of the corner of my eye I could see my dad watching us with slightly raised eyebrows. He had seen our little personal moment and was clearly surprised, although by what I wasn't sure.

"See, the fella was telling the truth, Boss!" a beefy, balding Tomahawk said to my father over a mouth full of food.

"Telling the truth about what?"

"We'z didn't think that the daughter of the Falcon would willingly shack up with an American!" the Tomahawk replied back.

"That's enough, Brutus," my father said calmly to his not too bright minion. But the damage was already done. On top of everything else, not only had my father abandoned us as children but he had gone on to become a mob boss. I tensed up again and tried to shake off the moment. It seemed that the conversation wasn't going to pass, though, because my father went on to explain.

"What Brutus meant, Kitty Kat, was that in our line of business we have never come across an American who would be worthy of your love. When you first appeared on the media circuits I was worried that you had been taken advantage of. I'm relieved to see though that you seem to have genuine feelings for your American."

My jaw locked when he said "our line of business" and I tuned out everything else he said afterward. As I sat down next to Peeta at the dining table I made eye contact with my father and asked the first question that had popped into my mind when I had heard I would be meeting the Falcon.

"Your line of business….Tell me, Dad, what line of business is that exactly? I'm sorry to say that your reputation precedes you, and from what I've heard it's less than stellar." In time I might have been able to get over the betrayal of our father's abandonment, but would I ever be able to accept the fact that my father turned to a life of crime after leaving us? In my mind, he had always been the epitome of goodness and morality.

My father sighed as though he had been hoping this particular question wouldn't come up, but after a minute he answered anyway. "The business is pretty simple Katniss. We do whatever we have to do to keep the rebellion strong. Under other circumstances I don't know if I would voluntarily take on some of the work we do, but as tough as life is out here I know, as does every person in this room, that life is much tougher back home. So at the end of the day, the end justifies the means."

Up until his last sentence he had me. He was being vague about what he was doing, sure, but that last line ruined everything for me. _The end justifies the means._ In my experience the justification always included someone, somewhere getting hurt, and in my mind that wasn't something to ever be justified.

"Do you want to be a little more specific about what the means are and what you feel is justified?" I held a strong rein on my anger as I asked my question. Hope in my arms and Peeta's hand slowly dancing along my back helped to keep me focused.

"Arms trading, drugs, and bounty hunting are our three main sources of income. Satisfied? Katniss, there are so many different aspects to this business. Please remember that we do a lot of good as well. We supply food and weapons to the districts as best we can. We've connected the districts using technology so they can coordinate attacks, and we sponsor those rebels whose lives are in jeopardy back home. Like yours, Gale. Like it or not, Kitty, we couldn't have afforded to bring Gale here if it weren't for the more lucrative aspects of our business."

I could see his argument clearly, and deep down I knew that my father had the best of intentions in mind, but I couldn't help asking, "And who did you have to kill in his place? Bounty hunting means someone had to die for you to get paid. So who was it? I won't pretend that some of the work you do isn't important for Panem, but who are you to decide that your cause is more important then the lives you've taken? Saying the end justifies the means is just a way to rationalize things that shouldn't be rationalized."

I should have stopped there but my emotions made it personal again. "Your goal was to reunite your family and here we are, but it was at my expense. My husband's expense and my _daughter's _expense. Their safety was put in jeopardy for the reunification of the Everdeen Clan, the 'greater good', because of _you. _How did you get them here anyway? Peeta wouldn't have gone willingly. Was there a struggle? Did your men stun him again like the last Tomahawks you left on our property?"

"Nah! We didn't stun him, Ms. Katniss! We promise! Don't get mad at the boss! We used a trank gun just like he said! We didn't even mean to take the kid, but he was holdin' her and she was all crying when we came to pick um up," Brutus chimed in.

"Brutus! Shut up!" my father yelled at him.

"You used a tranquilizer gun on my husband while he was holding our baby?!" I asked, shocked and furious. At least my dad had the decency to look regretful.

"Kitty, you have made your point, and if I hadn't been so pressed for time I would have gone about this a different way, but I couldn't take a chance that something would happen to you in the meantime."

This was the third time he mentioned that he needed to speak to us. "So, what's the big news? You keep bringing up how important it was that I get here. Well, here I am, so tell me."

"Kitty, this might be a conversation we want to have in private…"

"Are you serious? After everyone has witnessed the afternoon we've just had, now you want to talk in private?"

My father sighed, looking resigned. I had never given him this much trouble as a child. I could tell that this afternoon had not played out how he had expected it to. I wondered if he thought I would run into his arms like Prim, or if he knew I would be distant. Regardless, I don't think he was expecting me to be this argumentative, that's for sure.

"Very well, Katniss. I have no intention of fighting with you. Everyone is welcome to hear the story. I suppose telling everyone at once will just save time at the end of the day." I ran my fingers lightly through Hope's hair as I waited for my dad to say what he brought me here to say. Everyone was sitting around the table at this point and when my father began to speak you could almost hear the sound of the dozen or so ears perking to attention. It seemed that whatever he knew he hadn't yet shared it with the others.

"I don't know how much Zeyer has told you about our enemies, the Red Union, but they are by far the largest gang in the country, both countries actually, America and Panem. They have loyal members spread out all through the senate; some even believe the governor herself. We know that they are close allies with President Snow and were early investors in the Panem slave trade. To make matters worse, they have controlling interest of the American clean water program, which holds a monopoly on the drinkable water of all Americans. They control the pipes and the filtration systems. It is in their best interest to never see the current Panem government fall, therefore they obviously see us and everything we stand for as a direct threat to their business, considering the fact that we are the main supporters of the rebellion. Recently, they have been working to develop their own set of weapons in order to arm the Panem government against our rebel fighters."

He paused briefly and gave me a pointed look. "They're planning on poisoning the districts' water systems." I gasped at the information. Peeta tensed. Prim let out a cry of sadness. Gale cursed and Damien kicked the table leg. Could the Capitol really be so afraid of the rebellion that they were willing to poison the majority of their population?

"How does that make sense? They can't kill off ninety five percent of the country in order to squash the rebellion. Think of all the casualties! It's not just barbaric, it's ludicrous!" Gale muttered angrily.

"They would agree with you. That plan, while effective, would not make sense, which is why they will be giving clean water to their approved citizens beforehand, and in the meantime they will be testing their weapons on what they see as localized problem cells."

I froze up, afraid that I was coming to the wrong conclusion. "Localized problem cells? What does that even mean?" Peeta asked quietly although it sounded like he knew the answer.

"It means that first they'll be testing their weapons on the rebels that are in America, mainly the citizens of Jefferson County and Hope Haven. That's why it was so imperative that I bring you hear, to warn you. They're going to poison your home."

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**Thanks for reading please remember to review so I can know how I'm doing!Tell me your thoughts. Did Mr. Everdeen answer all your questions? What do you think will happen next? **


	19. The Lone Texan

_Hey readers! Thank you for the wonderful feedback I have received. Your reviews mean so much. I apologize for the belated posting. I am saddened to say that I lost my beta this past week and while I am happy for her progress in regular life it meant working even harder to make sure I could get this to you in a semi professional manner. I am still looking for a new beta so please PM if there are any takers. In the mean time, Please enjoy the chapter! _

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**Zeyer's Pov**

Through out the rest of the night people would cast tentative looks in my direction. Somehow I went back to being not quite hated but not quite trusted either. I was just as floored as everyone else when I heard that the Red Union was planning. I hadn't lied to them when I said I had cut off all ties from the Tomahawks. That didn't seem to be there point though.

I thought back to my time with everyone and wondered if there was away to have avoided this. What did they expect?

'Oh hey guys by the way I forgot to tell you Prim and Kat's dad's alive and he's actually the falcon you hate so much. Oh and he sent me to watch you guys be awkward starving teenagers while I was an awkward starving teenager."

That would've gone over well.

Katniss had taken some personal time alone with her family in one of the bunk rooms where I assume Peeta's been sleeping. Gale already took off for Hope Haven intending to send the message about the poisoned water supply as quickly as possible. The rest of us are staying back with the Falcon and Haymitch to have a 'strategy meeting'. Falcon's insisting on uniting and fighting the red union now. His theory is if we defeat the red union, Panem will crumble from the inside. Haymitch as head of the resistance is mainly in agreement with him. The Hope Haven contingency is clearly still the only hold out on calling an all out civil war.

I don't know what to think.

We are taking a half hour break to 'think about it' before continuing our talks. Time is of the essence after all. I looked over at Prim and saw her having a somber conversation with her father. Prim seemed to be taking the news much better then Katniss but I can tell she's hurt. I really want to talk to her but out here I'd be hard pressed to find any privacy even if our relationship was public knowledge.

In the other corner of the room some Tomahawks and Damien are having a heated debate about the news. My eyes drifted over to Prim again and her eye catches mine. My heart stopped. She gave me a weary grin and turned back to her dad. I took a sip of water from the deerskin pouch and got up to walk outside. If I was going to sit in silence then I didn't want it to be while people surrounded me with conversation.

The desert night was cool and windy. Somewhere in the distance a coyote howled and I was swamped with memories of my childhood. I smirked. Some days the coyotes sharp howls were the longest conversations I would have with anyone else.

"Lonely night, huh kid?" Haymitch said.

He was sitting in the corner rocker hunched over with a flask in his hands completely hidden by the shadows.

"Ya, something like that."

"You know I always had a hunch that the Falcon and Everdeen were one in the same. Could never prove it though. Then there's you. Just another scrawny kid I've seen a dozen or so times in passing and you're actually the eyes and ears behind the whole operation. Impressive. Real Impressive."

"I think your overestimating my importance."

"Am I though?"

I didn't know the answer so I didn't respond.

"He sends you to check on his kids. He sends you to recruit for his campaign. He sends you to spy on Panem." Haymitch said.

"I was expendable." I said.

"I'd call it trustworthy."

I snorted. "Great."

"I would say that's a pretty big advantage you got over everyone else, kid."

"Not when that trust renders you untrustworthy to everyone else."

"The outsider that just wants to belong. It's a sad story." Haymitch said taking another swill from his flask.

"That's not what this is." I said.

"Sure it's not." He said.

"You have no idea. Alright? A few stops into your quickie mart doesn't mean you know me."

"So who does?"

"No body." One person.

"Maybe if people knew you, they'd learn to trust you. Just a thought."

I stayed quiet. "Well I'll leave you to your thought…" He said getting up. The front door creaked open.

"Well if it isn't nobody! He's brooding over on the left there." He said. I turned and saw Prim standing in the threshold with her hands holding her elbows. She caught my eye and moved a few steps farther onto the porch.

"Hey Kid, consider what I said."

The door swung shut behind him.

"What was that all about?" Prim asked. She sat down on the front step next to me.

"Nothing really." I said.

My throat had gone dry. Just minutes ago I was holding my tongue to keep from spewing my sob story to the town drunk and now I can't find the right words to say to the one person I've been wanting to talk to all night.

"It's a beautiful night." She said.

I nodded. Prim turned to me her eyebrows were hanging low on her forehead like she was about to give me bad news. She was frowning. She never frowned. Well not never, she frowned when she was upset or when she was about to upset others. My heart rate sped up. I swallowed the invisible lump that was lodged in my throat.

_Please don't break this off. _ _I can do better. I swear. _

"Zeyer, I-"

"Prim, I'm so sorry. I should have told you-"

"What? Why are you, sorry?"

"I didn't tell you about your dad." I said.

"You think I'm upset about that?"

_ 'Yes...' "_Your not?"

"No. Although now I get all those times you'd tell me something wasn't your secret to tell. "

"So what are you mad at me for?" I asked.

"Zeyer, I'm not mad at you."

"Your not? At all?"

"No, why would you think that?"

_Because I kept things from you, Because I used to stalk you in school, Because you haven't spoken to me all day, not even at dinner, Because everyone else is. _

_Take your pick. _

_ "_No reason, I guess…So what's up?"

_"_I came out to talk to you. That was a lot in there. I needed to talk to you. I feel like you might understand."

"If I don't, I'll definitely try too."

I could only imagine what she must be feeling. Upset. Torn. Betrayed. Happy. Embarrassed. Sad. I could come up with good answers for all the resons she could feel any one of those things.

"How would you feel if after ten years your father was alive?"

I took in a deep breath. I didn't want to play this game. I didn't want to think about if it were my parents because I had always hoped it could be true somehow as a kid. I had even gone back home to see if either of them had survived. They hadn't. I would answer her though because she wanted me too.

"I don't know. A lot of things, I guess. It'd hurt. It'd hurt a lot."

"It does hurt but it's so much worse then that. I look back at all the problems we had growing up. Most of them could have been fixed if my father were alive. Then I feel guilty for putting that blame on him because if he would have stayed he would have died and we'd be in the same situation. You know. You saw."

I nodded. I had seen them struggle and it had been hard to watch, mealtimes and holidays especially. You could feel his absence.

"What did he say when you talked to him about it?" I asked.

"I couldn't bring myself to say anything. He feels bad enough already, with Katniss and all. He doesn't need more of that."

"So what did you talk about?" I asked.

"My mom mostly. He still loves her and I can see how much it hurts him to know she's basically imprisoned back home and there's no way he can get to her. I tried to explain to him that it's not so bad for her to be there. She mainly sleeps now anyway."

"So you didn't talk to him at all about how you felt?"

She shook her head. That was the thing about Prim. She rarely, if ever, put herself first. Even as a kid she'd give away what she had to someone else, much to her sisters annoyance. It was one of the things I found fascinating. She was so giving that she gave even when it was in her best interest not too. She gave even when it hurt her. And she never complained about it. She was selfless.

"On some level I'm sure he knows everything's not fine between us. It would just hurt him more though if I said it out loud. Besides, I have other people I can talk too." She took my hand in hers and wound our fingers together.

"I did talk to him about you though. I told him about us." She said.

I looked over at her quickly eyebrows raised. She was looking down at our hands while she bit her lip.

"I thought you wanted to keep things quiet. What changed?"

She looked up at me and gave me her doe eyed smile. "Nothing changed. It's just easy to tell him how much you mean to me when I can see how much you mean to him too."

I leaned my head in and cupped her cheek. When our lips met I couldn't help pulling her closer. Her hands came up to caress my face as I deepened the kiss. I tried reminding myself not to push her too hard. She said nothing changed but for some reason it felt like it did. It felt like a huge step. I gave her another kiss, a softer one before I pulled back.

"Sorry. I couldn't help myself."

"I didn't mind." She said. Leaning in and kissing me again. I smiled when our lips broke apart. "I haven't been fair to you. I was trying to be cautious of everyone else's feelings but I never stopped to consider what I was doing to you by not telling the others. And after everything you've done for us-for me."

"I didn't do anything-" I said.

"Yes, you did. You lived your life running errands for my father. You could have gone to America and started over. Grown up as a regular kid in a free country."

"He found me out here. He saved my life. It was the least I could do-" I said.

"See that. Right there. You think that's the least you could do but it was the greatest thing you could ever have done for him. You brought him piece through your knowledge. He got to stay connected to us through you. Other people don't think the way you do. They would have thanked my dad for the water and kept walking. They definitely wouldn't have made multiple trips alone into a country that only held bad memories."

"Maybe not but it was the right thing to do. Your dad let me in-"

"He told me. He said you hadn't eaten in three days and once you were conscious you refused to eat the food he brought unless he split it with you. You're unbelievable, Zeyer. But you shut everyone out and let them assume the worst about you. They don't get to see what I see."

I was about to respond when the door banged open behind us. We both turned quickly. Damien was looking at us with wide eyes and a slightly raised eyebrow. There was muffled arguing from behind him. 'Don't ask.' He mouthed to us.

Katniss came out next, her eyes were puffy and rimmed with red. She wore a look of stubborn determination on her face. Peeta was right behind her holding a sleeping Hope. We got up off the steps and stood to the side on the porch. I made to let go of Prim's hand but she held onto it tighter. I bit back a smile.

"What's going on?" Prim asked.

"We're leaving, little duck. We're going home."

"Ok..What about-"

"The meeting didn't go to well." Peeta said looking quickly over at Katniss to see if she heard him.

"What happened?" I asked.

They ignored me.

Haymitch banged out the door with a pack hanging loosely from his arm. He was shaking his head back and forth like he was trying to come to terms with the earth being flat. The Falcon came out next both he and Haymitch sporting matching frowns.

"Dad? What's going on?" Prim asked.

"Meetings over, Darling. Your sister is heading back. Since we can't come to a decision here we agreed to let her talk it over with the rest of your little group back in America." He said.

"So soon? We've barely had any time together. How did you leave things with Katniss?" Prim asked.

Her voice had gone high and her eyes were wide. I didn't want to be the one to tell her that things probably didn't go well, that's why we were leaving. I also didn't want to be the one to tell her that odds are her dad didn't intend to give up everything so they could be a happy family again, even if that would be nice for all of them. I had my suspicions about what he asked of Katniss but I couldn't tell her those at the moment either.

"You don't have to leave, Prim. You are welcome to stay as long as you'd like. You and Zeyer." He said before he turned his attention to me.

"We really miss you over here, we'd be happy to have you back." The pointed look he shot me made me feel like a pawn in this. Prim looked up at me and I read the question in her eyes.

"It's up to you" I tried to communicate with a shrug.

"It's tempting Dad but my home is with Katniss. I promise to see you soon though." She said. Her voice cracked on the word soon. I think even she knew soon might be a bit of an exaggeration.

"We will. Take care, baby girl." He kissed Prim on the head and hugged her tight. When she moved back he gave me a crooked smile and a hearty pat on the back. "We eally do miss you, Zeyer. Tomahawks have been hurting. But I'm happy for you, both of you."

I smiled. "Thanks Boss. I'll miss you too." And I would. It was bitter sweet and complicated but he was the closest thing I had to a father. His approval always meant a lot. The fact that he thought I was good enough for his daughter was the best gift he could have given me. Acceptance. We walked off catching up to the others.

"Never to late to change you mind!" He shouted to us from the porch. I knew he was hoping we would. In the meantime though, we had some more pressing decisions to make and those waited for us in Hope Haven.

**Katniss's pov**

We ran up the steps of City hall. Peeta ran over to the alarm bell and rang it as fast as he could. I didn't wait for him I banged through the doors and turned on the lights. Prim was already starting a fire in the hearth. From a distance I could hear the others shouting for the town to wake up.

We had left Tomahawk headquarters with nothing settled, much to the shock and disappointment of my father. He had underestimated my connection to the people we left behind. How important there opinions were to me. I could not and would not stand by and let them die while I remained safe outside the country. I wouldn't decide anything that decided their fate as well. It just went to show how little my father knew me after years apart.

"They're on their way in." Annie said. She wore a sweater over her nightshirt and had little Finn in her arms.

"How much are we going to tell them?" Finnick said walking in with the others.

"Everything. We tell them everything." Peeta said.

"But-" Damien said.

"We have to trust them." Peeta said. Pulling up a chair to sit in the front of the room to wait. Our eyes met from across the room and he gave me a determined nod before turning back to his conversation.

Half the town was awake and sat spread out amongst the rows of benches. The room was unnaturally quiet for how many people in it but that came as no surprise. Tensions were high. The people knew something was wrong even if they didn't know what it was. Gale had only told them not to drink the water and to stay safe until we returned.

"We have a situation, a hard one. Who here has heard of Nightlock?" Peeta asked the room in general.

"It's the poison berries your mom always used to warn you about when you were a kid." A girl I didn't recognize called out from the group.

"Right. But it's more then that. It's one of the deadliest things out there because we still don't have a cure for it-and it's currently being dumped into our water supply."

Shouts of shock and outrage ran through the room and Peeta had to quiet them down before he could speak again.

"I know it's unbelievable but now more then ever we have to work together to get through this. We need to stop drinking the water here. We will have to make runs into the bordering cities and buy bottled."

"Who's doing this?" Someone else shouted from the audience.

"The same people you all consider your damn friends." The crowd turned their heads to the back of the room. Everyone looked at Haymitch.

"Crap. I told you we shouldn't have brought him back with us." Damien said.

"You heard me. Wake up people! You think the Americans are all right because they released you from slavery? They were the ones who bought you in the first place. Panem might have been selling but America was buying. These people are not your friends. They care about one thing. Money. And at the moment your standing in their way of making more of it. You think-"

"What's your point Haymitch?" Peeta said. His nostrils were flaring. This was not how he expected this meeting to go.

"Point is kid, you think that going out and buying bottles of their water will keep you safe? Rationing off who gets to shower on what day of the week ain't gonna do shit. All your relatives back in Panem are keeping Americans from going about their usual business. Panem's not producing the goods and trade is slow. They're poisoning the water supply because Snow told them it'll get everyone else back to business as usual once your dead."

"We're not rebels this is a misunderstanding that needs to be cleared-"

"You really don't hear me, do you? Whether you call yourselves rebels or not you are because you've got ties to Panem. They don't differentiate. It's nothing off their backs to kill you off. So instead of isolating yourselves hoping wars will end without you, fight for the world you want to live in. Join us. Fight for Freedom."

The room was silent. I clenched my jaw. Haymitch was supposed to let us present our choices to our community. "Old man you said your point." Finnick said.

Haymitch snorted. "I said it already. Doesn't mean you heard it. There's always room for new comers in Washington County."

He turned and walked out the door. When they banged shut the room burst into a flurry of conversation. Most people were talking loudly amongst themselves. Fighting. Some were making their way quickly towards our group.

"We should go fight-"

"If I wanted to fight I would have gone to Washington County the first time-"

"They don't have any water either-"

"So we sit back-"

"Everybody!" Thresh yelled at the top of his lungs.

The room went silent. I felt my heart stop. Even Gale stopped talking. Thresh was usually so quiet, I had never heard him raise his voice before. Apparently neither had anyone else.

"Give Peeta your attention."

"Look, there are a lot of decisions to make. Not all of them are going to be easy. But the first step is preparing ourselves for this new reality."

"And what does that mean exactly?" A pale freckled boy asked in the crowd.

"Clean water, tighter security, farms, animals, this will be a huge undertaking."

"So then lets get to it." Zeyer said.

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_Please remember to review! _


	20. The Suitcase Strategy

**Hi Everyone! Sorry for the late posting! I wanted to make sure that the chapter was right before I gave it to you guys. Wanted to thank my new beta aslaimee for all her help with this chapter. Also want to thank my readers for their great feedback. Please remember to read and review! **

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**Peeta's pov**

"Maybe we should just fight." Finnick said as he wiped his hand over his pale face.

"Maybe we should just drink the water." Gale said. He rolled his eyes.

"Think about what your suggesting, Finn." Annie said as she rubbed her hand along his back.

"Can we build our own desalinization plant? I mean we're right next to the Ocean…" Rue asked.

"Not before they poison our water and cut us off from buying the clean stuff." I said.

None of us had slept since we got back. We went straight into debating the best way to approach our increasing problems. Finnick and some other people from town took the van and went to go buy water. Now is the best time to stock up, while the Red Union hasn't realized we've been warned of their plans. The more water we hoard, the more time we buy ourselves.

"What other options do we have, honestly? We've been at this for hours." He said. I glanced over at Katniss to try and gage her response.

"What would we do if we could do anything?" Katniss said.

"We'd stop them from poisoning the water." I said.

"Right. So why can't we do that?" Katniss said.

"Because it's too dangerous." Prim said. It was the first time she had spoken up all night.

"Everything we would do at this point is too dangerous. Fighting, not fighting, running, not running, it's not like we have a safe option here." Gale said.

"Hang on a minute. Kat, you might be on to something. What would we have to do to get them to not poison the water?" I asked.

The room fell silent as everyone thought about it.

"We'd either try to talk to the Red Union and get them to not poison the water or-" Damien said.

"We'd go behind their backs secretly and physically keep them from poisoning our supply." Zeyer said.

"True but we have no idea how to accomplish either of those things." Rue said.

She had a point. We didn't know where the water source was and we had no contacts at the Red Union…but let's say we did. If the Red Union was really as spread out and as influential as the Tomahawks seem to think then we must know someone who knows someone who is part of the gang.

"Damien-" I said.

"Ya?"

"Any of your old druggie friends ever mention anything to you about the Red Union?"

"Uh, if they did I was too high at the time to remember."

"What about Clove?" Rue said.

Katniss and I looked at each other. It was one of those moments where we didn't need words we both just knew. I leaped off the couch and ran towards the secure line praying that Clove hadn't gotten around to fixing her insomnia issues yet. I tapped my foot rapidly against the floor as I listened to it ring.

"Go for Clove." Her greeting always made me smirk.

"Hi there." I said.

"Lover boy! I'm so glad you've called."

"How've you been?"

"Oh you know, miserably bored. I still can't find Cato, and let me tell you turning over every damn rock to see if he is hiding under one of them is not as glamorous a job as it may seem."

"Well I might have a way to bring some excitement back into your life."

"Oh, drama. Do tell."

So I told her. The Tomahawks. The rebellion. The Red Union. The poisoned water. Everything. I needed her to understand that we were desperate that all I wanted was to have a safe place for my family to grow.

"I must be your fucking fairy godmother or something, I swear." She said, once I finished my story.

"So you can help?" I asked. My heart beat just a tiny bit faster.

"Oh, I can do you one better than that."

**Zeyer's pov**

This was insane. I thought from the inside of a too small suitcase. I'm pretty sure I have a better chance of not getting killed if I just joined the rebellion. I shouldn't complain I know I volunteered for this. But Prim was looking at me with that nervous/hopeful look in her eyes and I couldn't say no. I always seemed to have a really hard time saying no to her.

"Will you stop moving? You're supposed to be clothing." Clove said.

I felt the car come to a stop. We must have reached the beginning of the property. This was the door or die moment, I guess. Apparently the guard likes to check the trunk for anything out of the ordinary.

"Alright this is it. Play dead kids." Finnick said.

One minute we're all sitting in Peeta and Katniss's place talking about whether or not we should fight with the rebellion and suddenly Peeta is running out of the room calling some girl I had never heard of. He spends ten minutes on the phone with her and the next thing I know I'm neck deep in scary lingerie. The only reason I'm keeping my mouth shut is because Peeta and Finnick are in the two suitcases next to me.

"Why, hello, officer." Clove said, her voice purring like a cat's. Knowing the little that I know about this girl, I can only imagine that she's got her enhanced cleavage displayed front and center for the security guard's view. There was always a ton of security at the Mayor's summer residence apparently but Clove assured us that he was still in the Capital and if we wanted to get in touch with the higher ups at the Red Union this would be the way to go.

"Ma'am how can I help you today?" The Officer said.

"Please let the Mayor's daughter know that her good friend Clove has arrived for our girl's weekend."

"Yes ma'am."

"Oh and please make sure the boys in the monkey suits come out to take my bags."She said.

"Yes Ma'am."

"You're such a sweetheart. Ta-ta!" I could hear her fake smile from here. I wished she would flirt a little less and turn the air up a little more, not that I could get a good breeze through the zipper anyways. I felt the tell-tale hum of the engine gearing up beneath me. We were moving again.

"Alright, we're in the clear. You guys can unzip now and get some air for the next few minutes." Clove said.

I took a huge gulp of air. The car's A/c felt good on my face. I popped my head out and saw Finnick and Peeta doing the same thing.

"Now remind me the plan again." I said. I was surprised to hear myself slightly out of breath.

"The staff will put the suitcases in the closet and you three will silently climb out when I give you the signal. From there we have three options."

"Bribery, kidnap, or drug. We know. But how will we know which plan you want us to go with?" Peeta asked.

"I have to see how our little pow wow goes. I haven't seen Glimmer since her and Cato's divorce. That girl can be a loose cannon."

Finnick snorted next to me and I had to hold back a laugh. Pot meet kettle.

"And you're sure it's a good idea that I'm here?" Peeta asked. There had been a big debate at the house whether or not Peeta should go since he was Cato's brother.

"Are you kidding? Glimmer always had the hots for you. She just got stuck with Cato. She'll be more than happy to see you." Clove said. "Alright. Now, zip up boys we're approaching the golden gates."

I got a glimpse at the mansion just before I ducked back into the suitcase. I looked expensive and exclusive. I hoped this plan was insane enough to work. The car stopped and I heard the click of the doors opening. I felt myself being lifted into the air and a soft grunt of exertion followed. The poor bastard who was unloading Clove's suitcases was probably going to give himself a hernia.

"Careful with those! Uch, so hard to find good help nowadays…" Clove said. "Put them in the closet in the guest suite. Don't bother unpacking you'll just fuck it up."

"Yes, ma'am." The poor guy said. I heard a door open and a minute later I was put down. The door closed. It was incredibly hot in the suitcase. I felt like I was slowly suffocating in a pile of thongs. I heard the zipper being undone and I breathed a sigh of relief. Talk about music to your ears. I took in some long deep breaths and looked around to see Peeta and Finnick doing the same. We were in a massive closet that was mostly empty save for a few boxes on the top shelves.

"Good god, did you guys have to soak all my clothes in sweat?" she said pulling out a crushed negligee from behind my back.

"We didn't really have much choice there, Clove." Peeta said. His face was red and he was wiping it with the back of his shirt. I probably didn't fare much better.

"Fine. Well, change before your musk sets off the smoke detectors or something." She said. Finnick rolled his eyes behind her. "I'm going to meet Glimmer. I'll bring her back here in ten. Staff uniforms are in the front pocket." She turned to leave but stopped at the door. "And try to keep the speaking to a dull roar." When the door closed behind her I was still sitting in the suitcase.

"What got shoved up her ass?" Finnick said.

Peeta chuckled. "Nothing lately. That's the problem." He stretched his arms above his head and I heard his back give a distinct pop. "That felt good." When he started pulling out his uniform from the front of his suitcase I got up and began to do the same.

"You really trust this girl, Peeta?" Finnick asked as he pulled off his shirt. He started blotting himself with it like it was a discarded towel.

Peeta smirked. "You're only asking me, now?" My muscles were screaming when I was fully upright.

"How did I end up in the smallest suitcase?" I said. I pulled at the back of my shirt and brought it over my head.

"Cause you're the newbie, obviously." Finnick said. _Yes, I'm aware._

"Nice tats by the way." I realized that the guys had never seen me without a shirt on. Whatever. I shrugged.

"So do they mean something or did you just have a lot of _feelings _when you were younger." Finnick said.

"I thought they'd go nicely with my mysterious persona." I said.

"Nah, seriously-" Finnick really didn't want to let this drop apparently.

"Finnick-" Peeta said.

"No it's fine. " I didn't need Peeta fighting my battles for me. "Ya, they mean something."

"What's that mean? That bloody hand thing." He said pointing at my shoulder.

"Finnick. Seriously, leave him alone-"

"It's from Tomahawk initiation. Happy?" I said. I tried keeping my muscles from tensing.

"And what about that one there? The blue eyes?" I failed. My body stiffened like a board. That one was none of his business.

"Finnick. Leave the kid alone."

"What?" Finnick actually seemed surprised.

"I'm not a kid. I've seen more shit then you two put together."

"Dude, what is your problem?" Finnick asked.

"Finnick!" Peeta was looking at him like he just realized his friend had no tact_._

"What's my problem? Honestly? You treat me all buddy-buddy when I'm going along with your psychotic plans but look over your shoulders like I'm gonna stab you in Hope Haven. Like me, don't like me, just make up your mind."

"Zeyer, we don't have a problem with you. We just don't know you." Peeta said.

"You're all moody and secretive. It's nothing personal."

"What Finnick's trying to say is, we don't hold anything against you."

"Ya, like the fact that you're secretly banging Prim." Finnick said.

"Wait, what?" Peeta's face went white. Mine probably matched. I couldn't respond because just then the door banged open.

"Well hell Clove, when you said you had something to show me I assumed you meant clothes. This is a lovely surprise." Some girl with big blonde hair said walking into the closet. She was looking at us like we were big pieces of bread and she hadn't eaten carbs in a year.

"Please tell me he's mine." She said looking at me. I wanted to grab for my shirt. "Tell me they're all mine." Her eyes were sweeping between the three of us and Clove looked like the cat that ate the canary. I had a really bad feeling about all this.

"Peeta! Is that you?" She started walking over to him doing some jerky walk I think was meant to be seductive.

"Hey Glimmer. How are you?" Peeta said. He looked as uncomfortable as I felt.

"Much better now that you're here." Peeta's wide eyes met mine before passing over to Clove. Clove let out a sigh and shut the door.

"Glimmer, down. He's not for you." Clove said. Glimmer pouted before turning her eyes back to Finnick and me. "No. They aren't yours either."

"Then what the hell is all this?"

"Well, we've come to make a deal." Clove said. "For fucks sake, put shirts on so she'll pay attention."

"Alright Clove, you have my attention. What do you want?" She said.

"Pull. The Reds are planning to poison the water system over at Peeta's place." Clove said.

"That's it? Pull? How much Pull?"

"As much as it takes to get them to leave us alone. We don't want a fight." Peeta said.

"The better question is Glimmer what do you want?" Clove said.

"Well a minute ago I wanted those three but you've already explained that's not an option." Glimmer said.

Peeta cleared his throat. "That's not really on the table."

"So, just so I get this straight. The Red Union is poisoning your water and all you want is for them not too?" She said.

"And have them leave us alone indefinitely." Finnick said. I gave him a look. "What? She asked."

"Is there a way you can cut trade between us and Uesay?" Peeta asked.

"Sorry sweetie, my powers don't reach that far. No one comes between Reds and their money. I might be able to help with the poison though…if-"

"Just tell us what you want, Glimmer." Clove said.

"Cato." She said.

"Really? But you're divorced, what do you want him for?" Peeta asked.

Glimmers eyes went dark and her body stiffened. It was almost like seeing a complete change. "I don't want him. I want to kill him."

Peeta stiffened in front of her. Finnick stood there blinking. "Wha- What? Why?"

"He humiliated me. I had no choice but to divorce him. But If I am ever to get back into the public eye I have to be a widow, not a divorcee. It's a completely different dynamic."

"We don't even know where he is." I said.

"That's why I'll give you three weeks to find him. You get him to me by then and I'll even throw in Washington County." Glimmer said.

"Done." Clove said. She moved toward Glimmer to shake her hand.

"What? Clove? Are you serious? We can't-" Peeta said. He was shaking his head adamantly.

"We'll see you in 3 weeks." Clove said. "Boys, get my bags. We're out."

I looked between Peeta and Finnick not really sure what to do. I made the mistake of meeting Glimmer's eyes. "You're welcome to stay of course." She said with a smile that sent chills down my back. I quickly picked up a suitcase and followed Clove. Peeta and Finnick followed.

We loaded the bags in the car then went around the side and got in. Clove started driving away.

"Clove! What the hell was that back there?" Peeta said. "She thinks we're actually going to find Cato and let her kill him!"

"You are." She said.

"Clove, I can't do that. We have to find another way. I hate Cato but I can't let her kill him, he's my brother. After everything he did, he still doesn't deserve to die." He said.

"This is triage, lover boy. You can't save everyone. I just gave you the world's best deal. One shitty life for thousands. You should be thanking me." She said. The vein in her forehead was twitching. I wondered if Peeta realized he was pushing her patience.

"But Clove! He's been your lover since-"

"Don't you tell me what Cato has been to me! I know better than you ever will." The car went silent. There would be no fighting with her.

That night when we finally got home, everyone was waiting for us in the main room. I still haven't gotten used to the fact that they let me in at all. Katniss ran up to Peeta and hugged him tight. She had been on her own mission while we were out. She said something to him and he quickly shook his head. I saw Prim out of the corner of my eye. She was as beautiful as ever and she was making her way towards me. I swallowed hard and stilled my hands from reaching out for her.

"How were your talks with Haymich?" I asked.

"Clearly better then whatever it is Glimmer told you guys." She said. I didn't answer her. I had to lock my jaw and look away. I felt her hand on my arm. "Hey- you want to go talk outside?"

I nodded. The breeze from the ocean felt good against my skin. The light sound of the waves was relaxing.

"So what happened?" she asked. I shook my head.

"Not what I thought. That's for sure." She waited patiently for me to continue. "Glimmer said she'd stop the poison in Hope Haven and Washington County, but she wants us to bring her Cato in three weeks so she can kill him."

"Wow. I had no idea she had that kind of power." Prim said.

"I guess she's a lot higher up in the Red Union then we originally thought." I said.

"Why would she want to kill him?"

"Power." I shrugged. It didn't surprise me. People had killed people for much less.

"You don't seem so upset about it." Prim said. I looked at her before I spoke again.

"I did something stupid." I said. She stiffened.

"What?"

"I snapped at Peeta and Finnick. They told me they didn't have a problem with me but then Finnick told Peeta that we're together." She didn't say anything. "I have no idea how he knows. I didn't say anything. I'm really sorry he was just asking me about the tattoo of your eyes and I-"

She put her hand over my mouth. "Stop. It's ok. Finnick knows because I told Annie. I told her before I was planning on telling everyone anyways. There just hasn't really been time since we got back from Texas for me to talk to Peeta and Katniss. But I will." She said. She moved her hand to my cheek and lifted herself up to meet my lips with hers. I clutched at her waist and brought her closer.

She let out a little laugh. "What's so funny?" I asked her.

"For a minute there I thought you were going to tell me that you slept with Glimmer." She said.

"What? Why would you think that?" I said. Could she really think that I would ever have sex with someone else?

"Because Rue was telling Katniss and I stories today about how Glimmer used to come on to Peeta. Rue was convinced that the reason Clove brought only straight men with her was because Glimmer would want one of you. I was worried that you'd step up because Peeta and Finnick are married and-"

I kissed her again to stop her from continuing.

"In my mind, I'm just as unavailable as they are." I said.

"Good." She kissed me back.

**Katniss's pov**

Peeta was my first priority. I gave a quick apology to everyone in the living room and took him with me to our room. Hope was already asleep, so I knew I could give Peeta my full attention. We sat in our little reading nook and looked out the window at the ocean. Peeta leaned his head against my chest.

"Talk to me." I said, dragging my fingers through his hair.

"I have to kill Cato." I stiffened.

I truly hated Cato, and his name alone would always set me on edge. But for Peeta it was worse. Peeta hated Cato too, but in his mind he was family.

"What?"

"I have to find him and bring him to Glimmer. She needs him dead so she can rise with the Red Union. She knows we know about the poison now. If I don't get him in three weeks she'll kill us all herself. We showed her our cards and Clove agreed to her terms."

I kissed the top of his head. I wish I had good news for him too. "I spoke to Haymitch."

"How'd it go?" he asked.

"Could've been better." He waited for me to continue. "They're planning on fighting. He's skeptical that we can keep the water from being poisoned but he'll give us two weeks."

"Two? What happens if we don't do it?" he asked.

"They fight. Every one of them. They'll wage war." I said.

"And what are they going to do with their wounded? Where are they even going to set up base?"

"I don't know. They feel desperate…" I said.

Peeta rubbed his eyes before he sat up. "Well one thing's for sure."

"What?" I asked.

"We have to find Cato."

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**Thanks for reading please let me know what you think! You can also follow me on tumblr! lulubee1234 . tumblr . com! Reviews/ follows and favorites are always appreciated!**


	21. I Guess the Gatehouse

Hey everyone! I hope ya'll had a lovely holiday weekend. I hope that you'll all enjoy this chapter before you start your work week. Special thanks to Lbug84 for all her help with beta-ing this chapter. You should all check out Unalaska/ Unangan her fics, if you haven't yet, they're awesome! Thanks to all my readers for their feedbag and I can't wait to hear your thoughts on this chapter. Please remember to review after you read! Thanks!

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**Katniss's pov **

Warm kisses dotted my neck as I opened my eyes. Peeta had his body over mine his hips pressing my body into the mattress. I stretched out and felt him hard against my upper thighs.

"Someone's up early…" I said as my body rapidly woke up.

"I couldn't sleep any longer I need to be inside of you." He said. He bit my ear just hard enough for me to let out a moan. His warm hands travelled up my sides before diving under me to capture my breasts in his hands. He squeezed my nipples hard forcing my back to arch and our centers to align. I felt him pulling off my sleep shirt laying kisses on my back as he moved it upwards and over my head. His chest warmed my bare back. I wanted to relax into the blissful heaven of having him blanket me with his body. I brought my hands up behind me and ran my fingers through he's already sleep tousled locks. I pulled gently causing him to let out a moan of his own. The sound shot straight to my core and I arched up again feeling the heat of him through his shorts.

Peeta glided his hands from my breasts down my torso until he reached the patch of curls he knew so well. He pulled aside the lace and caressed me gently as he returned to kissing my neck.

"I need you. Please. Now." I said. My voice was a breathless mix of fatigue and arousal. He continued to toy with me.

"Please." I repeated, with a huskier voice.

"Are you sure?"

His voice in my ear was close to a purr. He didn't wait for my answer instead he took charge the way I love. He fitted himself against me and I cried out in contentment.

"Put your hands on the headboard." He said.

I complied immediately. I was too desperate for him to consider doing anything other then what he wanted. In this moment he controlled me like a puppet on a string. He was the only one who could make me dance like this. His hands brought me closer and pushed me away in equal stride when all I wanted was to move in reckless abandonment. I was close. So close. The rhythm had me on a high but would not let me fall over the edge. I opened my eyes to see that my knuckles had turned white from my grip on the headboard.

"I can't reach it." I said. The words were mixed in with my heavy breaths.

"Not yet." He said.

He brought his hands down to my hips and squeezed them. He felt impossibly close to me now as the intense pulsing moved me to an even higher rung of ecstasy. This new movement was its own form of torture. The pleasure was so intense that my heart threatened to give out but at the same time I never wanted it to end. Just as I was reaching the edge I felt Peeta pull me backwards and flip me onto my back. My head hit the pillow with a soft thud but I didn't have time to dwell on it. As soon as I was flat he descended on me, overwhelming me with everything he was. Face to face made everything so much stronger.

He had wrapped me around him so that I couldn't tell where one of us ended and the other began. I didn't need to either. This is how I loved my husband best. Completely and to the point where all I could see, feel, touch, and taste was him. I felt the shudder from deep inside of myself before it spread towards my spine and raced up my back. The current ran hard and fast through me. I registered Peeta's cry of ecstasy as the shocks carried into my arms and legs making me shake. His grip on me tightened as he buried himself hard into me, as though he were trying to join us permanently.

'I will never get enough of you. Not as long as I live." He said.

His breath blew the strands of hair from my shoulder as he spoke. I kissed the top of his head, letting myself breathe him in deep. In that moment I was relaxed. There were no outside threats. It was just us on our island made of sheets and feathers.

"I don't want you to leave me again." I said.

Peeta lifted up his head to look me in the eyes. He moved his hand up to caress the side of my face.

"I don't want to leave you. Not ever. But what choice do I have?" he said.

"Maybe Damien…" I knew the suggestion was a weak one even as I said it but a small part of me still hoped he'd go with it.

"You know it has to be me."

I had to look away from his eyes as I nodded in agreement.

"I want to come with you." I said.

"Kat-"

"I know it's a risk but it's worthwhile. You don't know how long you'll be gone. You don't even really know where to start."

"But Kat-"

"I can help. I'm not weak."

Peeta started laughing above me.

"I have never thought you're weak. You might be small but I think we both know weak is not something anyone in their right mind would dare call you."

His smile was calming and it soothed the storm that was brewing inside of me.

"So I can come with you."

"I didn't say that. You know I didn't."

I set my jaw and nodded.

"What about Hope? Are we taking her too?" he asked.

I felt him draw his fingers lightly over my forehead.

"Every night that I can I'm coming home to you." He said. Kissing my forehead to placate me.

"You'd better or I-" He silenced me with his mouth. After a minute I didn't feel the need to argue.

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It's been three days. Three days. No messages. No calls. Nothing. I'm going to kill him. If he isn't already dead.

"Oh God." I said shoving my hands in my hair. This was ridiculous.

"I'm sure they're fine. Don't stress, Katniss." Annie says.

She only half means it. She's been pacing the room for the past hour. Prim sits next to me on the couch tearing sheets of paper quietly into smaller pieces of paper. Rue was the only one who was able to keep doing things as usual. She was sitting on the floor reading the news on the monitor. When the phone rang she was the closest and made a grab for it. I had already gotten onto my feet when she picked it up. My heart beat heavily in my chest like fists on a tribal drum.

"Hello?" She said into the phone. "Katniss, here it's Peeta."

"Finally." I said. My breathing escalated as both relief and apprehension coursed through me.

"Katniss?" Peeta's voice breathed into the phone.

"Peeta, are you okay? Where are you?" I said. I barely recognized the intensity of my voice. It was strained and high. I tried to calm myself the last thing I wanted was for him to worry about me.

"We're safe. We're, well we uh, well we're stranded."

"Stranded? How?" I asked.

I stood up from the couch and started to pace. I had never driven in America. Maybe Annie? The girls were all standing as well focusing on my call.

"We hit some bad weather and ended up totaling the car. We were close enough to the city to walk to the old house so we're staying here for the time being."

"You're in your apartment?" I asked. Some of the greatest and worst memories of my life took place in that house. It held a bittersweet appeal now. I didn't want Peeta there alone.

"We're coming to get you."

"Katniss-"

"No, we're coming. I'll take the van."

"You don't know how to drive."

"Annie does."

"Kat…"

"Besides auto pilot does the whole thing anyways-"

"What about Hope?" I went silent. I didn't have a ready response to that. I glanced up toward the stairs that lead up to our room, where she laid asleep.

As if hearing my internal debate, Prim answered,"I'll stay and watch her." She almost knocked me over to speak into the phone.

"Hear that?" I asked. I heard Peeta exhale loudly through the phone.

"Kat, I miss you too but I'm asking you to please stay home and stay safe. Please?" I could practically hear him rubbing his eyes with his hands.

"If I don't come get you how do you expect to be able to find Cato in time?"

"I-"

"We're coming. Sit tight, I love you." It physically hurt to hang up on him but nothing would have been gained if we kept talking.

"Annie-"

"Already got the keys." She said. Come into the main room carrying her shoes in one hand and her keys in the other.

"I'm coming too." Rue said.

"Be safe." Prim said hugging me quickly with one arm.

"We will." I said.

I ran up the stairs, through my bedroom and into the nursery where I saw Hope asleep in her crib. She was beautiful. I gave her one small kiss on her head before leaving the room. 'I'll be back soon' I silently promised her. Tearing myself away from her was difficult, but in order to keep us all safe, I knew I would have to.

Moving back to the bedroom, I reached for the safe we kept hidden under our bed and retrieved a .357 mag. I sat with my back to the bed as I slowly cocked the hammer back and forth and debated whether to bring it with me. It was better to be safe then sorry. I exhaled as I stood and strapped it to my right thigh.

The car ride was silent for the first hour or so of the drive. When we saw the distant signs for Washington County I began to think about all that had happened since I came to this country.

"Feels like yesterday, doesn't it?" Rue asked, breaking me from my trance. She had come over to sit beside me as I looked at the window.

"It does."

"You know it's funny."

"What?"

"Those first hours right when we got you back. You were passed out but Peeta, Thresh and I, we felt like we had it all figured out."

I smiled. I liked hearing these stories. "Look how well that turned out." I said.

She snorted and shook her head. " 'Member when we thought Thresh had gotten himself killed for Damien? Goodness, when I found out he was alive I almost strangled him myself for not going to the damn gatehouse."

"I don't remember why they didn't end up going to the gatehouse anyway."

"Cause Damien had decided he wasn't ready to live sober and gave his dealer the damn address."

I shook my head. Oh, Damien. It was coming back to me now.

"And the dealer told Cato and his guys right?"

"Yup. Probably found himself a gold mine, the jerk. There was enough drugs, booze, food and water to keep the boys stocked for almost a year." She said.

I tensed. "Rue?"

"Ya?"

"Where is the gatehouse?"

"Bought thirty or so minutes from here I guess. Why?"

"We need to make a pit stop."

"What, why?"

"I know where Cato is."

* * *

The stench is what hit me first when I pushed open the rusty door of the old gatehouse. The sound of glass bottles and crumpled papers being scraped against the floor as we weaved through the foyer sent a shiver through me. The crunching of garbage under my feet as I moved towards the main room reminded me of the music the homeless men used to make in the slums back home.

We fanned out, and I entered the main room first, while Annie and Rue quietly made their way towards the sitting rooms on either side of the entrance. Stepping toe to heel with my knees slightly bent, I took in the sight of discarded food wrappers on the floor. I knew he was close. I turned my body, so that the doorway I'd just passed through was at my left side, and took note of Annie and Rue's positions.

"Come to kill me, have you?" A voice said from behind me. A small crash sounded as his empty vodka bottle hit the floor and clamored at my feet.

I stiffened hearing Cato's voice. He was right behind me, and I could feel the air shift as he wobbled on unsteady legs. I turned my head towards the door catching Annie's eye in the foyer and mouthed the word "police." I hoped the dimly lit room concealed my call for help.

I shuddered as I felt his hand on my shoulder, but inhaled a breath of confidence as he spun me around. I looked into the eyes of the devil himself, red and fiery. He'd obviously kept in touch with his dealer. His hair was rumpled and his face was greasy from overdrinking and not enough bathing. He was a mess. Worse then Peeta when I first met him. Worse the Haymitch, even. Here stood a man with no options left. A man with nothing left to lose, the most dangerous kind of animal.

"Well shit, it's the slave," he said as his form grew uncomfortably close. The smell of alcohol on his breath turned my stomach. I swatted his hand from my shoulder, which only made him chuckle.

I watched the two of us as if I wasn't a part of the conversation. I could see myself standing before him strong, proud and whole so different from the first time we had seen each other. It was a complete reversal of roles. He was now the broken one with no other option than to submit to his fate. I guess life is funny that way.

"Come to bring me to heaven, angel? Or hell?" I felt his eyes comb slowly up and down my body.

The cool metal of the mag concealed against my thigh comforted me. I could finish this myself. Here and now. Glimmer would have her prize and Peeta would never have to live with the guilt of sentencing his brother. I was in the position to play judge, jury and executioner. The question was, did I find him guilty?

"Those places are reserved for people with souls."

He narrowed his eyes at me. His hand came up lightening fast and gripped my neck. I instinctively sucked in as much air as I could and brought my left hand up to his wrist. I walked backwards as he pushed me, and after only a few steps he slammed me against the wall and knocked the wind out of me. His right knee pressed against the wall between my thighs and held me in place.

His red eyes grew darker as he stared into mine and he hunched over me. His grip was tight around my neck, but I could still breathe. He leaned in and I turned my face away. He brought his nose to my jaw and dragged it up to my ear while he inhaled loudly. I locked eyes with Rue as she perched at the doorway. She raised her eyebrows to me. I shook my head at her slightly.

"You smell so fucking good."

"Yeah? You smell like shit."

He leaned back slightly and turned my face with his sticky hand so that I could look directly into his eyes.

"You still haven't learned your place."

"Fuck you."

"Not so quiet anymore, are you? My brother make you scream enough that you were finally able to find your mouth?"

"No. He had to show me where it was and how to use it. Repeatedly." I snapped then I traced my upper lip with the tip of my tongue.

His eyes widened as he watched my tongue. His gaze was filled rage and laced with desire. His lips turned up into a sneer. "I should've fucked you when I had the chance."

I laughed at that. Actually laughed. The noise seemed to have startled him.

"And what about that is so funny, slave?"

"You're pathetic. After everything, that's what you're upset about? That?"

"And what else is there to be upset about ?" He asked. I wondered if he was actually serious.

"You're right. It is what it is, dead mother, messy divorce, broken reputation, deserted mistress, no friends to lean on-Ah!" He pulled me from the wall and slammed me back again. Through gritted teeth I continued. "It's a good thing you didn't have a dog. Probably would have gotten hit by a car." I slowly reached for my mag with my right hand, while keeping my eyes locked on his.

"It must feel good." He said.

"What?"

"Kicking a man while he's down."

"It probably would but I don't see any men here."

"No men?" he questioned. He slid his knee up the wall and pressed against my center. He smiled as I frowned and squirmed uncomfortably at the sensation. "What's to stop me from taking you? Right here. Right now."

I'm not sure exactly where the sudden wave of hatred came from. Or why my instincts compelled me to do it. But I slid my jaw from side to side and worked up enough saliva to spit squarely in his face.

"Bitch!" Fury flamed in his eyes and he tightened his grip on my neck. I brought my knee up hard forcing him to double over.

"Ah-ah-ah," I said as I slid my mag up between us, pressed the barrel to his head, and pulled back on the hammer. The cocking sound was satisfying. I watched as realization flash in his eyes.

He smiled slowly at me as he straightened. I pressed the barrel into his skin, and forced him away from my body. He walked backwards with his hands raised to his chest in surrender. I kept my gun aimed at him as the back of his knees hit a couch and he sat down. I rubbed at my neck with my free hand.

The creature in front of me had lived a life of sin and crime since he was old enough to make his own decisions. He had abused me, molested me but he hadn't broken me, not even close. I have his brother to thank for that. By that logic I should find him guilty but as I looked down at him pitifully curled up on a moth eaten couch something else played through me. Mercy.

"Quite a place you got yourself here." I said kicking aside an old beer can. He snorted.

"Keeps me warm in the winter." He said grabbing an errant bottle and lifting it to his mouth.

"You sure that's not the booze?" He looked at me over the mouth of the bottle. He brushed the crumbs off his shirt and brought it up by the hem and wiped my saliva from his face. He adjusted the shirt, pulling it over his belly then he dug around in the pocket for something. When he found it he let out a wheezy laugh and kissed his fist.

"You look good." He said.

"I know."

"What I wouldn't give to wipe that smirk off your face."

"Lucky for me you've got nothing left to give."

"How about information?"

"It's always worth a shot." I said with raised eyebrows.

He threw something into his mouth and brought the bottle up to swig it down. He made a smacking noise of satisfaction when he was done.

"Alright, you ready for this?" He asked. I nodded. I had to admit I was curious.

"I'm going to get the last laugh."

"And why do you think that?"

"Because I know how to save your precious Hope... Haven." I didn't like that. How the hell did he find out my daughters name? "I even know how to make the Panem government crumble from the inside out. Save your precious slaves and your rotting mother." I stiffened and narrowed my eyes at him.

"So how does that give you the last laugh?"

"Because all the information dies with me." He said with a smile.

"Really? Cause I've got a dozen cops on their way that would bet you they could get you to squeal like the pig you are."

"Ooh, I see I've hit a sore spot. Sadly no, they won't be able to make me talk."

"Why so confident?" I asked.

"Cause even the cops can't torture a corpse." He reached down on the floor with his arm and threw a small orange bottle at me. He coughed lightly as I caught it in with my free hand. I read the label. Potassium Cyanide.

"They say you only need one but I figured, why not double the dose?"

"Suicide. So clever."

He shrugged from the couch and smiled. "By the way…" he said as his eyes drooped closed.

"Yes?"

"Ha, ha, ha…" His head went limp. I swallowed hard and waited. I stood there for a long time. His chest didn't rise. I walked slowly over to the couch and touched his boot with the barrel of my gun. I moved toward his head and pressed to fingers to his gullet. Not even a flutter of a pulse. I kept my gun trained at his body as I walked backwards out of the room.

I grabbed the door handle and closed it quietly behind me. The outside air was clean. I took a deep breathe and shut my eyes. When I opened them I aimed my foot at the door and kicked it with all the power of my emotions behind it. The bastard was right.

He'd taken the last laugh.

* * *

Please tell me your thoughts! and thanks for reading!


	22. A Deal's a Deal

_Special thanks to my beta, aslaimee for her quick work of my sloppy writing. Thanks to lbug84 for helping me get over my writers block and coming up with an awesome climax and conclusion for all of you. More chapters ahead and on the bright side I now know what they are about! Big shootout to my awesome readers and reviewers. Your feedback keeps me going and reminds me to come back and write even when life is crazy. Please remember to read and review! _

* * *

**Peeta's Pov**

"Are you insane?" I said. My hand cupped her face as I pulled her closer to me. I locked my lips with hers. It was almost like my mind and body were on two different playing fields. My mind wanted to scream at her: my body wanted to hold her tight and never let her go.

"Do you understand how dangerous that was?" I went back in for another kiss, I couldn't help myself. "When Rue picked us up and told us what happened, I lost it." I said putting my forehead to hers.

"I'm fine Peeta, really." She said. How Katniss could be so stupid to think she should of gone after him alone was beyond me.

"I thought we agreed we weren't going to do anything like that. What if Cato had tried something more with you?"

"But he didn't."

I shuddered in her arms and she looked up at me. Her face held the same guilt that I felt for leaving her in the first place. "I'm sorry…" I cut her off again with a kiss.

"No you're not." I said as I came up for air.

"Alright, I'm not but I didn't mean to scare you. Does that count for something?" I shrugged. Hell if I knew what it counted for. "

So what happens now?" I asked her.

"I don't know. Do you think Glimmer will accept Cato's body as sufficient payment?"

I flinched when she mentioned Cato's body. I hated the bastard but I felt guilt rip through me as well. As the oldest he had gotten the brunt of my mothers affection. In a normal family that would have been something to be jealous of, but in mine it was something to be pitied. Now neither of them was alive to do any more damage to anyone else.

"I'll make it be enough. We had a deal. She wanted Cato's body. We didn't promise that we had to bring him to her alive though."

"He said something to me before he died."

"What?"

"He said he knew how to end all of it, the War between the Rebels and Panem."

"And he didn't tell you?" She shook her head. "He said he wanted the last laugh."

"Then he was just trying to torture you before he died. Just like he felt you tortured him."

"I tortured him?" She asked moving her head back to look at me with a raised eyebrow.

"He was sick. In his mind you tortured him by never submitting to him, by refusing to let him own you, control you." I moved my hand into her hair gripping her to me. The idea that he could have succeeded burned at my insides.

"So you really think he was lying?" she said.

"How would he know something like that?" The rebellion had been searching for the answer for years. How would my screw up of a brother ever come across that kind of information?

"I guess…" She said. I knew she wasn't convinced.

"I'm just glad your safe. I pulled out half my hair in the car ride over here." I understood her motivations for going after Cato alone. There also wasn't anything standing in my way from literally tying her to the bed when we got home. She squeezed my hand back and leaned over to give me a quick kiss on the cheek. She was cute, that one.

"And he chewed my ear out something fierce for leaving you." Rue said coming towards us.

"That was completely warranted. What if he had faked his suicide and you had left her stranded without the getaway car?"

"I was under the impression the cops were on their way." Rue said.

"I wouldn't rely on them if I were you, they're probably to busy poisoning our water supply." I said.

"So you think they're doing it right now?" Rue said.

"I'm sure Glimmer didn't put the breaks on anything. She wouldn't risk seeming weak before she got what she wanted."

"Have we decided how we are going to bring him to her?" Katniss asked. Her eyes moved slowly towards the Gatehouse where Thresh and Finnick were carrying a hammock made from dark sheets. It must be Cato.

"I think Thresh and Finnick are going to go. I have to call Clove and let her know."

"How do you think she'll take it?"

"You never know with Clove. She didn't flinch when Glimmer said she was going to kill him, but that doesn't mean anything."

"Peeta, I've got Clove on the phone for you." Rue said coming over and handing me the cell chip. I kissed Katniss on the forehead and pulled her a little away from the group.

"Hi." I said into the phone.

"Rue told me what happened. You need to bring your people and come meet me. Right now."

"What why?"

"Some bad shit went down tonight. Things aren't looking good for your little Utopia."

"What happened? They didn't drop the poison did they? I still have another four days!"

"I'll explain everything when you get here."

"Where am I meeting you?" I asked her. I squeezed Katniss's hand gently in mine. We were still outside the gatehouse. I didn't know if the chill came from the light breeze or thinking about what was coming ahead.

"The boat dock at the vacation house. No one will overhear us there. First drop the body off with Glimmer. Leave your family home for our talk. "

"Alright-" The line went dead before I had even finished talking.

I took a deep breath. If it had to be done anywhere near the vacation house I knew it meant we had no other options that would be safe. Clove detested the vacation house just like I did. Thom had died there and even the beach was enough to bring back memories. Katniss was pulling on my hand. She got my attention and I turned around to look at her.

"What did she want?"

"To meet up." Katniss' eyebrows drew down into a question. "Why?" She shrugged.

"I don't know. Something happened, I- can we just get everyone back in the car?" She nodded and bit her lip gently as she looked at me. She didn't say anything else to me.

"Everyone back in the van, we have to go." She said.

"What should we do with…Cato?" Thresh said. Katniss turned back around to look at me.

"We're taking him with us." Damien said. His face was scrunched and he had his arms folded across his chest as he walked into the van opening the door loudly letting it slam against the side.

"At least we're heading home." Finnick said coming around from the side of the house.

"We're not going home."

"We're not?"

"No we're going to see Glimmer. I want this done. Tonight."

"Fine, but I call the first bubble bath when we get home."

The gates to Glimmer's mansion made a foreboding creak as they opened. I had gone to probably over a dozen parties at the mansion in my previous life and the sight of the gold gilded front doors sent an unpleasant shiver down my back. I did a lot of things I wasn't proud of in that house. I didn't want to bring Katniss near it. I lost the argument of taking her home first. The house was on the way back to our place so it made the most sense to stop here first. After all, time was of the essence, they reminded me.

It was probably for the best that she was coming along. I definitely didn't want to leave her alone with any more of her big ideas. That was the last thing I needed. I'd turn my back for a second and Katniss would probably have done another insane thing, like break into the water plant or something. God, that was a scary thought.

I squeezed her hand in mine and took a few deep breaths. She wasn't leaving my side again until I had her home safely. The gravel crunched loudly on the drive as we pulled up in front of the house. Glimmer came out in a skimpy negligee and made a motion for us to go around the back. She had a big smile on her face that told me she was up to something.

I didn't like the nightgown. She always wore those when I used to come over when I was younger. She'd flirt and rub herself against me until I was bothered enough to let her jerk me off in the bathroom. I had though that if I gave in she would move on to the next guy but she didn't. She had wanted me and started fooling around with Cato to make me jealous. By the time she realized it hadn't worked, Thommy had been dead and she'd been knocked up.

We pulled around the back to the service entrance. It was dark, out of sight and most importantly, totally deserted.

"Thresh keep the engine running, this hopefully won't take too long." He nodded at me and I started to open the door. "Kat? Is there any chance you'd do me a favor and wait in the car?"

"Why?" She asked.

"Glimmer is impulsive. She likes to make a scene and she likes to make trouble. She knows about us and I think if you come out with us she will make a bigger fuss then if its just me."

"And me." Damien said.

"And me." Finnick said. He shot off a curved smile at the group.

"That's ridiculous, Peeta. I'll come out with you. I know your trying to protect me but I'll be fine. What could she possibly try to do?"

I exhaled in frustration. Now wasn't the time. "Fine, but I warned you."

"Peetie! You did it! I'm so proud of you." Glimmer said running out of the house and towards me her chest flying in all directions in her revealing top.

I felt my eyes widen and my breathing narrow as I realized she was about to jump on me. I looked out of the corner of my eye and saw Katniss frown. Glimmer banged into me giving me a big hug; her breasts squashed against my chest. She moved back ever so slightly to help me regain my balance before she moved in to kiss me. At the last second Katniss got in front of me and stuck out her arms. Glimmer's momentum was working against her as Katniss pushed her away. Glimmer stumbled backwards and fell smack on her ass.

A look of brutal anger passed across Glimmer's face as she looked up from the ground. If this scene were taking place in the wild Katniss would be the mountain lion protecting her cub from the clutches of Glimmer, the hungry wolf. They eyed each other as instant enemies and I wished that Katniss had listened to me and stayed in the car. She was playing right into Glimmer's story and Glimmer was too powerful to turn into an enemy all because of a little jealousy.

"You must be the slave" Glimmer spat out at Katniss.

"I go by Mrs. Peeta Mellark now, actually."

I took Katniss's hand quickly in mine and threaded it with my fingers giving her a hard squeeze. I needed her to realize that now was not the time to develop a jealousy streak and she needed to quit it.

"Glimmer. We have what you want." I said. I unclasped mine and Katniss' hands and pushed her behind me as I stood forward to help Glimmer up.

"What I want and what I need are two very different things." Her eyes raked over me with a suggestive look that I knew was meant to goad Katniss more than anything. It was working. I could practically hear Katniss growl.

"What you requested then," She took her hand in mine and I help her up. She gave me another winning smile and a wink when she was fully standing.

"Yes I know why you're here. So lets have him then." She said as she brushed the gravel from her hands before she made a show of smoothing out her barely there nightie over her generous curves.

"There's no dirt on you Glimmer so stop feeling yourself up. You're making the kiddies uncomfortable." Damien said stepping out from behind me.

Glimmers eyes widened ever so slightly as she took in Damien, Rue, and then Finnick. None of them looked happy. At least Annie had the sense to stay in the car.

"Damien, my how sobriety has changed you. Usually I can smell your presence from a town away."

"Glimmer, are those new tits or are you just happy to see me?" She gave him a sneer. It had never sat well with Glimmer that Damien was immune to her charms.

"Finnick, can you ask Thresh to help you bring out…Cato." I said trying to move the conversation back on target. We were going to need to have one of those catching flies with honey over vinegar talks when we got back.

"Aw, Damien you brought your boy toy with you? That's so cute. Forget Cato for a minute, can you have Thresh bring me an iced tea?"

Rue stiffened at the same time Thresh came around the back of the car with Cato in hand. He froze. This was going nowhere fast. What was I thinking bringing everyone with me?

"Just bring her the body, guys." I said. Glimmer's head shot swiftly back towards me, her earlier bating forgotten.

"What the hell do you mean by the body?" Her eyes narrowed.

"He's dead." I said. It was like ripping off a Band-Aid, I told myself. It would hurt less if I just said it. I tried keeping the emotion out of my voice but it was difficult. He was still Cato and he was still my brother, and I was still telling his ex wife that he was dead.

"You don't have the balls to kill anyone, Peeta. So stop fucking around." She said. Gimmer's voice had changed; it had gone slightly higher and a little more erratic. Like she was upset. Like she was in denial.

Thresh and Finnick brought over the black sheet we had put Cato in. Glimmer's eyes widened as they set him down by her feet. She bent down and hesitantly touched the bag. She pulled her fingers back quickly as though she'd been burned when she felt the coolness of his skin through the sheet. I could tell the moment the truth had sunk in. This wasn't something she wanted.

"What. Have. You. Done? Whathaveyoudone!" She screeched as she kicked gravel around. "This is not what I told you to do! You had specific instructions! Bring him to me and then I will kill him! You've ruined everything! Everything!"

"Glimmer, we didn't do anything we-"

"No! You don't get to talk! You don't get to defend yourself. You're as weak as he said you were. Spine-less. Limp dicked-"

"Glimmer, he did it himself-" I said.

"Slumming son of a bitch, I-" She stopped. "What did you just say?"

"You're ex husband did it to himself. He popped the pills right in front of me." Katniss snapped out.

"He? He did this?" Glimmer's voice had gone low. So low that I could barely hear her as she said. "That bastard." Her head shot up and she looked at Katniss with a mix of hatred and something else…could it be fear?

"What did he tell you?" She snapped.

"He didn't tell me anything." Katniss said. Her face was a carefully blank mask.

"Nothing?" Glimmer's eyes were a little wild. She was definitely nervous but why?

"Was there something he was supposed to have told me?" Katniss asked.

"What? No. Of course not. That's absurd." Glimmer had started to pace. Her lips were moving slightly, like she was muttering to herself. It was one of her stress habits. Everyone had gone eerily quiet as they watched Glimmer walk around like a caged animal.

"Well Glimmer it was interesting seeing you as always, but we're going to get the hell away from you now." Damien said.

"Hah! I don't think so Mellark!" She snapped back. She stopped walking and stalked slowly towards us. I fought the urge to step back.

"We had a deal and you didn't deliver. I can't show up at the Red Union with this!" She gestured to Cato's body on the floor. "The deal's off-"

"No! Glimmer you can't-"

"Unless!" She said, cutting off my protest.

"Glimmer we had a deal-"

"Yes and this wasn't it! So the deal's off unless…" She paused and looked around at our group. Glimmer always did have a flair for the dramatic. "Unless, you bring me the Falcon."

Everyone was quiet and I quickly debated the best way to handle this situation. "Who's the falcon?" I asked.

"Don't play that kind of game with me. Do you think I'm blind? Your slave very nearly keeled over when I mentioned him."

"So? She's heard of the tomahawks. That doesn't mean we know where he is and we're not doing your dirty work for you again, Glimmer." Damien said.

"Oh, you'll get him for me all right."

"Why are you so confident about that?" He asked.

"It's simple. If you don't bring me the Tomahawk then I won't have any choice but to tell the red union that you killed Cato, and then they'll come to kill you. All of you. Poison was a humane way of getting rid of you worthless people, but now you've all made it personal." Her lips curled back into a sickening smile. "They'll have no choice but to take out all of you, slowly."

"You're bluffing." I said.

"Am I?" She asked. "Who do you think the Red Union will believe, the Mayor's daughter, a proud member of the alliance, or their enemies? What other choice will they have but to go after the people who saw Cato die and heard his last confession."

"This is ridiculous! We didn't hear anything!" Damien shouted.

"What did Cato have that you wanted?" I asked.

She ignored me and answered Damien. "You might not have heard anything but she did." Glimmer said looking straight at Katniss.

"I already told you I didn't." Katniss said.

"Has anyone ever told you that you're a terrible liar?" Glimmer said.

Katniss stayed silent. I realized then that Glimmer was right, Katniss _was_ a terrible liar and she was hiding something. The last laugh bit. It must be about destroying Panem. It was true. Cato knew how to end the war.

"We had a deal. You didn't say whether or not you wanted Cato brought dead or alive you just wanted us to bring him to you. Well we brought him to you. A deal's a deal. Call off the poison supply."

"That's right. A deal's a deal. I specifically said that I wanted you to bring me Cato so _I_ could kill him. How can I kill him if he's dead? You didn't hold your bargain so you either bring me the Falcon, or you watch as the Red's come and kill your slave and then kill you."

The girl was menacing when she yelled. Lucifer herself. I looked at her and wondered what happened to the bubbly dynamic girl I had known growing up. Had Cato done this to her? Or was this just an inevitable part of growing up in the world we lived in. I didn't know.

"I can't give you that. What else do you want?" I said.

I could see the tumultuous emotions in her eyes. She seemed lost in a sea of anger, sadness, fear, and confusion. "You don't have to be a part of the Red's anymore, you know. Glimmer, we could help you. If you're afraid of them, we will help you."

Her teeth lifted up into a sneer. "You just don't get it, Peeta. I'm not you. I don't just leave everything I've ever known. This is who I am. It's everything and no one will stop me from getting it." She cracked her knuckles in front of her body pushing her breasts together. "So what do you say, slave? You might've been the one that was sold but we all know who wears the ball and chain here. Are you taking my new deal or am I calling my guards?"

"Kat, you don't have to answer. She doesn't hold any power over us. She's bluffing." I said. She wasn't bluffing but this also wasn't a decision Katniss was going to make. Katniss stayed silent.

"Or you could always send Peeta over to me to do some buttering up." Her wink was meant to goad Katniss into answering.

"Oh for god's sake!" Rue said. A shriek of surprise rang out in the night and suddenly Glimmer fell to the floor. She was shaking all over. I turned around to see Rue, of all people, holding a stun gun. "Will somebody tie her up, please?"

Damien who had been shocked into silence ran forward while Thresh grabbed some rope from the car. I was frozen in place. I vaguely realized that Katniss was pulling me towards the car. She sat me inside. We were moving but I wasn't paying attention.

Glimmer's shriek had triggered something in me. Whether it was a flashback from my accident or from when the tomahawks had attacked me I wasn't sure. I was watching everything as if from a distance. Katniss trying to get my attention back. Rue biting her nails in the corner. My people had just used a weapon. Sure it wasn't deadly, but it was definitely damaging.

"I didn't know what else to do! We were dead either way and it all came down to her! So I…I…" Rue had tears streaming down her face. I felt bad for her. "I couldn't just do nothing, though!"

"Don't cry." I said. I was coming back through the fog, shaking myself out of the shock.

"Peeta?" Katniss was in front of me now touching my face and I gave her a weak smile.

Before I had a chance to respond Damien came over to me and put his hand on my shoulder. "We have a big problem."

"I know that, thanks. I'm in the middle of a conversation here-"

"We can't take Glimmer back to Hope Haven." He said.

"Why not?"

"They'd know we were the ones who took her and that mixed with Cato's death…we'd be writing our own execution notice."

Dammit he was right. "You're right." I took a deep breath. I picked up Katniss' hand and started moving my thumb over her fingers as I thought.

"We could give her to the Tomahawks." Katniss said.

"No we can't. They'll kill her." I said.

"So?" Damien asked.

I gave him a pointed look before looking at Katniss. She had her eyebrows arched and was looking back at me her lips in a thin line.

"Oh not you too? Since when have you all become bloodthirsty?"

"It's not about being bloodthirsty…I-"

"What Katniss is trying to say is that if we don't kill her, we'll be killed."

"That's not a good enough answer for me. There has to be another way."

"Peet, they're poisoning the water regardless. You really want to let her go so she can call the entire Red Union to kill us at our own front door?"

"There has to be a way to reason with her." I said.

"There isn't, she's psychotic. There's no way to reason with that." Damien said.

"Unless your psychotic also." Katniss said offhandedly.

"That's it."

"What?" She said.

"Just keep driving. I'll take care of everything."

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Please review! Thanks!


	23. The Ones We Trust

Hey everybody! Thanks for being patient with this one I have the next one basically written and a full outline for the end so they should be coming out a little faster as we gear up for a finale. That being said I hope you all enjoy!would love to know your thoughts! Special thanks to my beta amslaimee for all her help! Please remember to read and review!

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Peeta pov

"Ah hell." Clove stood in front of me on the dock rubbing her chin. "You really can't follow directions can you?"

"I couldn't just let her raise hell."

I gestured towards the passed out lump of Glimmer that was propped up inside my boat.

"I could have handled the hell raising. Reds don't take well to being kidnapped." She said.

"Well it's something they seemed to have no moral issue with back when it was Katniss they were kidnapping."

"She's a slave and Cato wasn't officially apart of the Reds. He was just there paper boy."

"Paper boy?"

"Their tool, their puppet. Stay on task here."

"Right, sorry."

"So what the hell do you want me to do about this?"

"Honestly? I was hoping you knew?"

"You don't pay me enough." Her eyebrows were high on her forehead as she gave me a pointed look.

"I don't pay you anything."

"My point exactly."

"Clove, please. I promise you if I knew what to do I'd do it. You're the only person I trust with this."

She gave a mild snort and rolled her eyes. "Fine, give her to me."

"What are you going to do with her?"

"Bake brownies, of course." She said batting her eyelashes.

"Ha, ha."

"I'll question her and keep her sedated enough to keep up happy Glimmer or something."

I breathed out a sigh. "Thank you."

"Yeah, yeah"

"No I mean it. Thank you Clove, you're too good to me."

"Just put her in my car."

I picked up Glimmer and moved her out of the dock and started walking with her towards Clove's car. The gravel crunched softly beneath our feet as we shuffled along the walkway towards the back road.

"So what was it you needed to tell me?" I asked.

"Nothing. Problem solved."

"You sure? When we talked earlier, it sounded urgent."

"Yeah, it's all taken care of."

"Alright."

"Go home, Peeta."

"Alright."

She was acting strange, which is impressive for Clove. I closed the car door after laying Glimmer down on the seat. Clove got in the driver side. I was left standing on the drive as she pulled away leaving a trail of dust in her wake.

**Prim Pov **

I took a deep breath as I stood outside the nursery. This was it. Really there was no better time to tell Katniss about Zeyer and I like right now. She was sitting in the rocking chair cooing at Hope.

"Hey girls."

"Look Hope! Aunt Prim is here." Katniss with a baby voice was so out of character that I always had to smile when I heard it. I went over and gave Hope a wet kiss on the cheek.

"It's so good to be home I can't even explain." She was playing with Hope's feet and still hadn't taken her attention off the baby.

"Yeah, I can imagine. We all missed you. There's so much that I need to tell you about that you missed."

"I'm sure. I must have missed so many of your little milestones sweetheart." She said to Hope. "She didn't say her first word yet did she?" Her face went a little pale at the thought that she'd missed it.

"No nothing like that. She's still smiley in the morning, fussy in the afternoon, and good at bedtime. She rolled over again yesterday."

"Good for you!" Again with the cooing, yep, this was definitely the perfect time to just say it.

"Yeah, and the sheep are giving birth-"

"Cute." Katniss said not really paying attention.

"And the guy came back with plenty of water, and the orange trees are almost ripe, the first batch of Annie's preserves are ready, Zeyer and I are dating, we just got in new bolts of fabric."

"Sorry, what'd you just say?" Katniss said. She had stopped cooing and looked up.

"About the fabric?" I felt my heart beat starting to pick up.

"No Prim, not about the fabric."

"The sheep?" I asked hopefully.

She shook her head.

"About Zeyer and I?" I said quietly.

"That's the one."

"Well it's been a long time coming…"

Katniss's eyebrows shot up. "Has it now?"

I nodded. Katniss sighed and got up moving Hope into her crib and giving her a kiss for the night. She motioned for me to follow her into her room with her head. I walked behind her a little anxious as to what she was going to say. Zeyer was important to me and I needed my sister to be supportive of this. She turned around and faced me.

"Prim, don't you think it's a little soon?"

I stiffened. Or not supportive, you know, whatever.

"Don't you think that's for me to decide?"

She sighed.

"I just think-"

"I still visit his grave every Sunday."

"You do?"

I nodded. "Rory was the love of my life. My old life, but I'm different now, Katniss, I-"

"You're still the same Prim."

"But I'm really not."

"I just think that this sort of thing doesn't need to be rushed-"

"Rushed? Are you kidding? If you weren't so caught up in yourself you'd see that this has been anything but rushed. Hell, everyone else has known-"

"Other people know?" I was silent. "Prim who else knows."

"It doesn't matter."

"Who else?"

"I think people have seen-"

"Seen what? What have you two done exactly?"

"Nothing it's-"

"Have you slept with him?"

"What? Katniss-"

"Answer the question Prim."

"No we haven't."

"Yet." She finished for me.

I stayed silent. "I-"

"Do I need to go out and buy you some condoms or are we going to wait for you to get pregnant again first."

I felt like she had just slapped me across the face. I stood there frozen as the memories and emotions came flooding back. I had never regretted sleeping with Rory I knew we were going to be married after I turned eighteen so I wasn't worried about using protection at the time. When I had first thought that I might be pregnant, I was nervous, but also a little excited. All I had ever wanted growing up was a big family with Rory at my center. I knew that mom would be supportive if I told her. Losing the baby had been one of the hardest things that had happened to me. The knives cut at my heart until I felt the stinging behind my eyes.

"Prim, I didn't mean-"

"No, you did. I think we're done for now."

"Prim, that came out wrong."

I was already walking out of her bedroom door. I kept walking down the hall. Rue was standing in the doorway to our bedroom.

"So how'd it go?" She asked.

I shook my head and kept walking. I walked right out of the house even though we still had a curfew. I felt the high grass blowing against my arms but I kept walking. I saw the lights of the town square and steered clear of them. I didn't know where my feet were taking me I just knew it was where I needed to be. My hands felt like ice even though the late summer night was warm.

"Prim?"

I looked up as I heard my name.

"Prim? Is everything ok? One minute I'm coming down." I watched Zeyer drop the ladder down from his tree house and climb down. His hair was disheveled and his clothes a little wrinkled. I guess I'd woken him.

"What's the matter?" He brought his hand to my cheek and wiped the tears away. I hadn't even realized I was crying. He was frowning at me his big purple eyes furrowed slightly.

"Come on." He said.

He took my hand and led me over to the tree. He put me in front of him and put both my hands on the ladder.

"Climb."

Zeyer was just a step behind me as I climbed up. When we got to the top, he drew the ladder back into the room and shut the wooden hatch. He took my hand again and led me over to sit on his bed. He left my side and returned with a glass of water. I shook my head.

"You should drink it, it's a precious commodity you know." He had a little half smile on his face that lightened my heart a little.

"Then you should save it."

He shook his head.

"Drink just a little. " I shook my head. "For me?"

"Share it with me."

"Fine just drink it." I took a sip and swallowed. It felt good going down and I felt my tears receding as I took another sip.

I handed him the glass and he took it from me brushing his fingers against mine.

"Delicious." He said. He put the glass down on the floor and took my hands in his.

"Talk to me."

"I told Katniss about us."

I heard Zeyer take in a sharp breath.

"I take it, it didn't go well."

I shook my head.

"She doesn't approve of me." His head was bent and I could see his jaw was stiff.

"No it's not that."

"Right."

"If that was it, it wouldn't have hurt me. I don't care if people approve that's not their decision."

"She's your sister." He thought I wasn't being honest.

"And she refuses to see that I've changed." He stayed quiet. "But that's not why I came here."

He looked up at me. "I needed to tell you something."

"What?"

"I love you." His eyes widened but he didn't say anything. "From the moment I met you, you intrigued me, you brought me out of my head and rooted me to the present. I felt comfortable around you and that had made me extremely uncomfortable. Then when I got to know you, I loved you. Your moody and introverted, hardworking and cynical but I love you all the more because-"

I didn't finish because his lips had collided with mine his hands came around my face and cupped my cheeks. He let go only the slightest distance.

"You mean it?"

"I do."

He joined our lips together again and his hands moved into my hair bringing me closer and rooting me to him.

"I love you too. You know I do. I love you so much." He whispered against my lips. I grabbed the front of his shirt and pulled until I felt his knees on the mattress as well. I moved back and lay down on the bed bringing him on top of me. His hands roamed my body freely and every caress put warmth back into my skin. Our legs tangled together as we moved even closer. I moved my hand up and down his back until I got to his pants. I slowly brought my hand over to him and stopped.

"Can we?" I asked.

"Are you sure you want to?"

I nodded my head and continued our kiss before I continued. I moved under him letting our bodies caress each other. We were both breathing hard. I realized that at some point the cold had been completely replaced by an unbearable heat. I pulled my shirt up off and over my head. Zeyer froze in his movements and looked at me taking in my body.

"You're so beautiful."

I moved my hands down to his shirt and dragged it up over his chest. He lifted his arms for me and I brought it up and over him. His mouth moved to kiss my exposed skin and I shed the rest of my clothing until I was down to just a pair of underwear. It felt right to be with Zeyer like this in a way I never thought I would feel again.

"Make love to me."

When I reached down and drew him between us he stopped looking up at me.

"Are you sure?" He asked.

"I'm sure."

"I don't have any-"

"It's okay." He ran his hand over my face and looked me in the eyes.

"I- I've never done this."

His admission surprised me but it also filled my heart with happiness. I moved up and locked our mouths together expressing my feelings with my body.

"That's more than okay."

His hands shook as he continued to caress me.

"Let me." I moved my hands over his beautiful body. I felt my way across his woven muscles and lean waist. I kissed the blue eye tattoo on his shoulder before moving towards his many other tattoos. Each one was apart of him and each one was a symbol of what he had to go through to be the boy I loved now. When we were together I let out a shaky breath and kissed his temple.

"I love you." I said.

I needed him to know that I was with him that I was right where he was. That it was right where I wanted to be. His breathing was heavy and he had a hard time keeping his eyes open and looking at me. He was ready before me but that didn't take away from my pleasure. This moment was about the two of us and it was perfect.

When he was finished he cuddled me close and kissed me with an overwhelming passion.

"What can I do for you?" He caressed my arm with his fingertips as he lay at my side his head buried in my neck.

"Nothing, it was perfect."

"But you didn't-"

"Next time."

I felt him smile. "Or this time." He said. He kissed my neck before disappearing beneath the blankets. He brought chills back to my skin but I liked these ones. I shook under his touch and cried out with his kiss. My limbs were deliciously heavy as he moved back up my body kissing his way back to my lips. He pressed his forehead against mine.

"Thank you."

I kissed him and moved my legs to wrap around his. I felt a wet spot near my thigh and looked up at him the question in my eyes.

"Did you-?"

"Pull out? Yes."

"Why?"

He smiled quickly before it dropped off as he kissed my forehead. He wound his fingers in my hair and played with the curling tendrils before he spoke.

"I love you. I have always loved you. I'm ready to be with you for the rest of my life starting from this moment on." His words made my heart stop.

"But."

It started up again, beating faster. Suddenly, I was nervous about what he was going to say.

"But, I don't think you're in that place yet and even if you were I don't think you're ready to be there." I tried to protest but he kissed my lips first. "Until you're ready I will be doing that because the last thing I ever want you to feel when you're with me is regret."

"I don't-"

"Not now, but you would, eventually."

I kissed him hard on the lips wrapping my arms around his neck and bringing our chests together.

"I could never regret anything with you; but if this will make you feel better about us, then it's fine with me."

He smiled, and kissed my head. We fell asleep wrapped around each other, our bodies intertwined like our hearts.

The grey gold light of morning crept through the open windows and onto the bed. The peacefulness of the moment was shoved away as the sounds of the siren blared through the room. Zeyer woke up quickly beside me and stiffened.

"What is it?" He said. The sleep was still on his voice.

"Isn't that the-"

"Warning siren. Yeah. "I felt his arms tighten reflexively around me.

They had come to hurt us.

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